Syria’s HTS leader says rebel groups will be ‘disbanded’ to join one army

Syria’s rebel factions will be “disbanded” and integrated into the “ranks of the defence ministry,” announced Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which led rebel forces to Damascus and overthrew Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, emphasised that all fighters would be “subject to the law” and sought to reassure Syria’s minorities that the group would safeguard citizens and maintain the country’s state institutions in its multi-ethnic society.

“Syria must remain united,” al-Sharaa stated via the group’s Telegram channel. “A social contract between the state and all religions is essential to ensure social justice.”

In a separate meeting, he called for international sanctions against Damascus to be lifted, arguing this would enable displaced refugees to return home.

via Euronews