Syria’s de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has said it could take up to four years to hold elections in the country. Al-Sharaa, who leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stated that Syria needs time to hold a national dialogue and rewrite its constitution after decades of authoritarian rule.
The comments come as Syria’s different factions prepare for a political dialogue summit on March 1 to determine the country’s future and establish a transitional government. Al-Sharaa plans to dissolve HTS at this summit, bringing an end to the group’s dominance in the country.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued its airstrikes in Syria, targeting a weapons depot near the capital city of Damascus, killing at least 11 people. The Israeli military has not commented on the airstrike.
Al-Sharaa also hopes to maintain strategic relations with Russia and is in talks with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to integrate their armed forces into the country’s security agencies.
In other developments, a mass grave was found near Homs, civil defense workers were sent to investigate, while Lebanese security forces detained an Egyptian activist wanted by Cairo on charges of incitement to violence. A group of 26 Syrians was also kidnapped in Lebanon and is being worked to return to Syria.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/syria-damascus-israel-airstrike-assad-dcf827005877ab76e3fd075252fd3544