Syrian armed groups agree to disband, merge under defense ministry

DAMASCUS -- Ahmed al-Sharaa, head of Syria's de facto governing group and commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), met here with other Syrian military faction chiefs on Tuesday, during which they agreed to dissolve all factions and merge them under a unified defense ministry, Syria's state news agency SANA said in a statement.

The statement did not provide further details on the meeting, nor the agreement.

The announcement came as Syria navigates a sensitive political transition following the downfall of the previous government on Dec 8.

A militant alliance led by the HTS waged a major military operation from northern Syria on Nov 27. It swept southwards, captured the capital Damascus, and overthrew former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government within 12 days.