Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered the formation of a new government, the state news agency SANA reported.

According to a presidential decree, Assad ordered Hussein Arnous, prime minister of the previous government, to form a new government, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

On June 11, Assad sacked former Prime Minister Emad Khamis and named Arnous, also minister of water resources, as the acting prime minister.

Tuesday's decree kept Arnous as the prime minister and tasked him with forming a new government.

According to the Syrian law, the formation of a new government follows the parliamentary elections which took place in July..