Syria’s new leadership is making efforts to unify various rebel factions under a single government, aiming to establish authority in the country following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad.
According to the Syrian state-run news service, Sana, several rebel factions have agreed to dissolve and integrate into the defense ministry.
Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, emphasized the necessity of consolidating power, stating, “You can’t build a state while you have a million and one militias running around doing their own things.”
Amid these efforts, deadly clashes erupted in various regions on Wednesday as the new Syrian military administration targeted former forces loyal to the Assad regime, as reported by the interim interior minister and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In Tartus, a significant port city, clashes resulted in the deaths of 14 security personnel and injuries to 10 others. The interim interior minister, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, attributed the violence to an ambush by loyalists of the former regime.
The war monitor indicated that a military patrol in Tartus was searching for Muhammad Kanjo Hassan, a former high-ranking government official linked to the deaths of thousands in Sednaya prison, when it was ambushed by armed men connected to Hassan's family.
The Syrian military administration is also conducting security operations in al-Jobeh, Damascus, and Homs to apprehend former regime forces that have attacked civilians. A curfew was enforced in Homs, Tartus, and Latakia from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday.
These incidents coincide with the administration's push to disband armed rebel factions, a critical step toward forming a unified national military.
Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the offensive that led to Assad's overthrow, has recently taken additional measures to establish a new state, including appointing a caretaker prime minister to lead a transitional government until March 2025 and pledging to draft a new constitution.
Khalifa noted that al-Shara views the dissolution of rebel factions as a priority, as “wayward factions” are operating independently in rural areas.
The agreement to unify the rebels was announced on Tuesday, with social media images showing al-Shara meeting with multiple rebel leaders, many in military attire.
Al-Shara, previously known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has recently adopted a more statesman-like appearance, attending official meetings in a business suit and advocating moderate political positions despite his past connections to Islamist extremists.
During a news conference, he asserted that “the logic of a state is different from the logic of a revolution,” while standing alongside Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan. He emphasized that weapons must remain within the state's framework, addressing both rebel groups and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
The Syrian Democratic Forces control an autonomous region in northeastern Syria, while rebel groups dominate other areas. A coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham played a crucial role in the downfall of the Assad regime.
While Sana reported that all rebel factions signed the unity agreement, independent verification remains unconfirmed, and the Syrian Democratic Forces did not appear to be included.
Farhad Shami, a media official with the Syrian Democratic Forces, expressed openness to integration into a new military but emphasized the need for discussions with new leaders in Damascus, free from regional power interference.
Shami highlighted the desire to engage in talks regarding the fight against the Islamic State, drafting a constitution that ensures rights for all Syrians, conducting elections, and forming an inclusive government.
The Kurdish-led forces have been combating the Islamic State in Syria with U.S. support, while Turkey views them as an extension of a Kurdish group that has been in conflict with the Turkish state for decades.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Kurdish forces in Syria must either surrender their weapons or face severe consequences.