Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband, merge under defense ministry

DAMASCUS

An aerial view shows rebel fighters clearing mines in a field in the Syrian town of Saraqib, on Dec. 21, 2024.

Syria's new authorities announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and integration into the regular defence forces.

"A meeting of the heads of the groups" with new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa "ended in an agreement on the dissolution of all the groups and their integration under the supervision of the ministry of defense", said a statement carried by state media agency SANA and the authorities' Telegram account.

SANA said the move was taken during a meeting in Damascus between the head of Syria’s new administration Ahmed al-Sharaa and representatives of the revolutionary factions in the country.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.