As the fighters who ousted Bashar al-Assad set out to assert control over the country, they pursued former government forces loyal to the Assad regime, resulting in deadly clashes in parts of the country.

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa reached an agreement with former rebel faction chiefs to dissolve all groups and consolidate them under the defence ministry.

Syria's new leaders announced on Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and integration under the defense ministry. Absent from the meeting were representatives of the United States-backed,