ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham that toppled Syrian Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive in less than two weeks, on Monday said that all rebel factions would be dismantled and their fighters would join the army.

 

"The factions will be disbanded and the fighters trained to join the ranks of the defense ministry, and all will be subject to the law," Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who now uses his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, said on Telegram.

 

Julani’s remarks came during a meeting with members of the Druze community, during which he also stressed the need for unity in the multi-ethnic country. 

 

The Druze are an ethnoreligious minority that primarily identifies as Arab. They grew out of Ismaili Shiite Islam in the 11th century but have evolved to include aspects of other religions, including Hinduism.

 

"Syria must remain united," he said. "There must be a social contract between the state and all religions to guarantee social justice”.

 

The Assad family’s five decades of rule spectacularly came to an end a week ago, as a result of an 11-day sweeping offensive led by the rebel group HTS.

Julani's statement came shortly after ousted Assad broke his silence, for the first time since December 8. 

 

"My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed," said a statement from Assad on the ousted presidency's Telegram channel.

 

In a separate meeting with a British delegation, the leader of the HTS called on the international community to extend help to Syria, including the lifting of Western sanctions, as Syria goes through a transitional stage to rebuild itself.

 

Julani spoke "of the importance of restoring relations" with London, and stressed "the importance of ending all sanctions imposed on Syria so that displaced Syrians... can return to their country."