Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has agreed with rebel factions to integrate under the Defence Ministry, according to a statement by the new Syrian general administration. The agreement was reached after a meeting between al-Sharaa and the heads of the groups.
The deal does not include the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is based in northeastern Syria and backed by the US. Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir had previously stated that the Defence Ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from Bashar al-Assad’s army.
Al-Sharaa has promised to merge all armed groups under the Ministry of Defence, including those held by Kurdish-led forces. He has also sought to reassure Western officials visiting him that HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, will not seek revenge against the former regime or repress any religious minority.
The agreement comes as Qatar calls for the swift removal of sanctions on Syria, which was marked by a high-level Qatari delegation’s visit to Damascus. The move is seen as a significant development in relations between Qatar and Syria.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/24/syria-says-ex-rebel-groups-agree-to-integrate-under-defence-ministry