Armed groups in Syria agree to join Defense Ministry

The Syrian armed forces have decided to dissolve themselves and become part of the country’s new Ministry of Defense, TASS reports, referring to the Syrian SANA news agency.

As noted, the relevant agreement was reached during a meeting between commanders of the armed forces controlled by former President Bashar al-Assad and the leader of the new Syrian authorities, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

Al-Sharaa announced on Dec. 22 that armed groups in Syria would only be able to exist under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense. According to him, most commanders of the groups had agreed to this condition even before the start of military operations against Assad. The leader of the new Syrian authorities noted that he “will not allow uncontrolled circulation of weapons” in the country, as “there can be various armed groups during the revolutionary phase, but when it comes to the state, their activities must be regulated.”