The new Syrian government announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with all armed groups for their dissolution and integration under the Ministry of Defense. The terms of the agreement were discussed in a meeting between the leaders of the armed groups and the new Syrian ruler, Ahmad al Sharaah, as reported by the state news agency SANA.
Photos published by SANA and the Telegram account of the authorities showed Al Sharaah alongside leaders of various armed factions. However, the representatives of the Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria were not present.
Al Sharaah stated that he would not allow weapons to be outside the control of the state, emphasizing that this decision would also apply to factions in the area of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, dominated by Kurds). A rebel alliance, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), took power in Damascus on December 8 after a lightning offensive.
Al Sharaah, formerly known as Abu Mohamed Al Jolani, was the military commander of HTS and had links to Al Qaeda. The current leader of the Islamist group, Murhaf Abu Qasra, mentioned that the next step would be the dissolution of armed factions for their inclusion in a future military institution. The new government seeks to expand its authority in the Kurdish-controlled areas in northeast Syria.