The interim leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa along with heads of various rebel factions, have announced on Tuesday a plan to merge these groups under the Ministry of Defense, as stated by the Islamist rebel group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir previously indicated that the ministry would be restructured with former rebel factions and defected officers from Bashar al-Assad’s army.
Sharaa now faces the significant challenge of preventing clashes among the various groups. The interim government has appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a prominent figure in the insurgency that toppled Assad, as the new defense minister.
Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious minorities, including Muslim Kurds, Shi’ites, Syriac, Greek, and Armenian Orthodox Christians, as well as the Druze community, have expressed concerns about the potential for Sunni Islamist rule to threaten their way of life following the civil war.
In discussions with Western officials, Sharaa assured that the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which he leads and has ties to al-Qaeda, will not seek revenge against the former regime or suppress any religious minorities.
The statement did not detail which factions were included, but an HTS spokesperson claimed that all factions had consented to the agreement.
If confirmed, this consolidation could help prevent the kind of chaos seen in other regional states plagued by infighting among armed groups, such as Libya.
It also fulfilled a commitment made by Sharaa, who leads HTS, during a meeting with members of the Druze community. He stated that the factions would be dissolved, and fighters would be prepared to join the Ministry of Defense, ensuring compliance with the law.
The Syrian rebels took control of Damascus on December 8, leading to Assad’s flight and ending his family’s decades-long rule after more than 13 years of civil war.
