Syrian HTS leader says rebel factions that overthrew Assad will be ‘disbanded’

HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa says fighters will all be ‘subject to the law’ as he sought to emphasise need for unity in post-war Syria

Syria’s rebel factions will be “disbanded”, the head of the group that led the ousting of Bashar al-Assad has pledged, as he seeks to reassure minorities at home and abroad that the country’s interim leaders will protect all Syrians, as well as state institutions.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, said all rebel factions would “be disbanded and the fighters trained to join the ranks of the defence ministry” during a meeting with members of the Druze community.

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