Syria’s Defence Ministry gives armed groups 10 days to join state forces or face action

Syria’s new defence minister has issued an ultimatum to remaining armed groups that have not yet joined the country’s official security forces, demanding they integrate within ten days or face unspecified consequences.

The move comes amid ongoing efforts by the interim government to reassert central authority in a fragmented post-Assad landscape.

In a statement released late Saturday, Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that key “military units” had now been incorporated into a “unified institutional framework”, marking what he called a “great achievement” in consolidating national defence.

“We stress the need for the remaining small military groups to join the ministry within a maximum period of 10 days from the date of this announcement, in order to complete the efforts of unification and organisation,” Abu Qasra said. He did not specify which factions the statement was addressing.

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The integration push does not appear to target the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a dominant Kurdish-led militia in the northeast, which had earlier reached an agreement with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to gradually fold into the state apparatus.

The proliferation of weapons and loosely affiliated fighters has hampered Sharaa’s attempts to stabilise the country following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad six months ago. Some groups that had fought against Assad remain sceptical of the new government, while others that supported him have maintained independent chains of command.

Diplomatic support from Washington has recently given the interim leadership a boost. Last week, US President Donald Trump met with Sharaa and announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the move would aid “security, stability and civil peace”.

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Several Islamist rebel groups, including factions that once operated under the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham umbrella, agreed in December to disband and merge with the Defence Ministry. These groups had fought alongside Sunni Arab rebel forces against Assad and are now being folded into the central command.

Syria has continued to face serious security challenges despite the political transition. In March, sectarian violence erupted in the coastal region when Sunni militants killed hundreds of Alawite civilians in reprisal for attacks by Assad loyalists. More recently, over 100 people were reported killed in April during clashes between Sunni and Druze fighters in areas near Damascus.

On Saturday (May 17), the Syrian authorities launched raids in Aleppo targeting Islamic State cells, in a reminder of the persistent threat posed by jihadist networks in the country’s urban centres.

With inputs from Reuters