Syrian Armed Factions Agree to Dissolve and Merge Under Defense Ministry Following Damascus Meeting with New Administration Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa

Dec 24, 2024, 11:47 AM

Syria's new administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, has reached an agreement with leaders of various armed factions to dissolve all groups and integrate them under the country's Defense Ministry. This decision was made during a meeting in Damascus between al-Sharaa and representatives of the revolutionary factions. The move comes after anti-regime groups, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of Damascus on December 8, leading to the flight of former leader Bashar Assad to Russia. Assad, who led Syria for nearly 25 years, fled after the Baath Party regime, in power since 1963, was overthrown in a lightning offensive by HTS fighters that lasted less than two weeks. The new administration aims to restructure the military, incorporating former rebel factions and defected officers from Assad's army. Murhaf Abu Qasra, a key figure in the alliance that toppled Assad, has been appointed as the defense minister in the interim government.