Syria's new leadership announced a landmark agreement on Tuesday with various rebel groups to dissolve their independent forces and integrate them under the country's defense ministry, marking a significant shift in the war-torn nation's military landscape.
The agreement came during a meeting between Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and heads of several armed factions, according to state media agency SANA. However, representatives from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast were notably absent from the discussions.
"All groups will dissolve and integrate under defense ministry supervision," the official statement declared. The move follows al-Sharaa's recent assertion that weapons in Syria must come under state control.
The development comes just weeks after President Bashar al-Assad fled the country on December 8, following a swift offensive by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. The new administration has appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a prominent former opposition figure, as defense minister.
While the SDF was not part of Tuesday's agreement, their spokesman Farhad Shami indicated openness to discussing integration, noting it could strengthen "the whole of Syria." The Kurdish-led forces, who were key allies in the U.S.-led fight against ISIS, currently maintain semi-autonomous control in northeastern Syria.
The new Syrian leadership faces complex challenges in unifying various armed factions after 13 years of civil war that claimed over 500,000 lives and fractured the country into different zones of control. Al-Sharaa has pledged to avoid revenge against the former regime and protect religious minorities.
Qatar has responded to the recent changes by calling for swift removal of sanctions on Syria, reopening its embassy in Damascus after a 13-year diplomatic break.
The success of this military restructuring effort could heavily influence Syria's future stability, as the country attempts to rebuild after more than a decade of conflict.