Syria's Vice President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has made an agreement with Syrian rebel groups to join the country's Defence Ministry, according to the new Syrian administration, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera, quoting a statement from the new administration, said that a meeting between al-Sharaa and the rebel leaders led to an agreement for the rebel factions to dissolve and become part of the ministry. However, according to Al Jazeera, this deal does not include the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria, which are led by Kurdish people. Mohammed al-Bashir, the Syrian interim prime minister, had also declared that defected officers from Bashar al-Assad's army and former rebel organisations will be involved in the reformation of the ministry.

This, according to Al Jazeera, is a major event in Syria, especially since opposition forces seized control of areas of Damascus following the overthrow of President Assad's regime. The major concern was how these armed groups would come together. Al Jazeera said that this merger under the Defence Ministry has now been made possible by Al-Sharaa's leadership, which is a noteworthy accomplishment. After a major offensive that led to the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) taking control in Damascus, Murhaf Abu Qasra, a key figure in the rebellion, was appointed as the interim defence minister. Al-Sharaa stated that all weapons in Syria, including those held by Kurdish forces, would be controlled by the state. He also reassured Western officials that HTS would not seek revenge against the previous regime or target minorities, but would instead focus on rebuilding and economic development, according to Al Jazeera.

On December 8, Syrian opposition fighters captured Damascus, forcing Assad to flee and bringing an end to his rule, after more than 13 years of civil conflict. A three-month caretaker administration has been established by al-Sharaa supporter forces. On the same day, Qatar urged for the quick removal of sanctions on Syria after reopening its embassy in Damascus and holding a high-level visit, signalling a change in diplomatic ties.