Syria to integrate rebel groups into Defence Ministry

Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has reached an agreement with former rebel faction leaders to dissolve all existing armed groups and consolidate them under the country’s newly established Ministry of Defence.

According to a statement from the new administration, the agreement was finalized during a meeting with the heads of these groups on December 24, Caliber.Az reports per Syrian media.

The groups will now operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence. This marks a significant step in the government’s efforts to restructure the military and bring the various factions that contributed to the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad under state control.

Last week, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir announced plans to restructure the ministry using former rebel factions and officers who had defected from Assad’s army. The move aims to integrate opposition forces into a unified national structure.

Sharaa, now leading Syria’s interim government, faces the challenge of preventing potential conflicts between the many groups involved, as the country moves toward a new phase of governance.

Murhaf Abu Qasra, a prominent leader in the insurgency that helped topple Assad, has been appointed as the new defence minister. His role will be critical in overseeing the transition and ensuring the integration of various groups into the national defence framework.

Syria's complex ethnic and religious makeup, which includes Kurdish, Shiite, Syriac, Greek, Armenian Orthodox Christians, and Druze communities, remains a delicate issue. These groups had long feared the rise of Sunni Islamist rule during the civil war. However, Sharaa, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has assured Western officials that his government will not seek revenge against the former regime nor oppress any religious minority.

On December 8, Syrian rebels successfully seized control of Damascus, forcing Assad to flee after over 13 years of civil war, thereby ending his family’s decades-long rule over the country.

By Vafa Guliyeva