Syrian security services chief Ali Mamlouk held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo over the weekend on a rare visit to the country, Syrian state media said Sunday.

His Saturday visit came “at the invitation of” Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, the official SANA news agency said.

It came just one week after a surprise visit to Damascus by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who became the first Arab leader to visit the Syrian capital since the conflict began in March 2011.

Mamlouk and his Egyptian counterpart discussed topics of common concern including “political, security and counterterrorism issues”, SANA said.

It was the second official visit by the secretive Syrian security official to the Egyptian capital since the outbreak of Syria’s seven-year-old war.

Source: Agencies