In southern Syria, armed factions remain hesitant to surrender their weapons, as tensions persist with HTS
Militant factions in southern Syria have expressed skepticism regarding the proposal put forward by the country's de facto leader for them to surrender their arms and disband, casting doubt on the prospects for a negotiated resolution.
In a significant development, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who played a pivotal role in challenging the regime of Bashar al-Assad with the assistance of militant forces in the southern regions, announced that he has successfully brokered an agreement with various armed factions for their disbandment and subsequent integration into the defense ministry’s framework.
He stated that the government would categorically prevent any weapons from existing outside the jurisdiction of state control.
A representative from the entity referred to as the Southern Operations Room announced on Wednesday that they remain “unconvinced by the proposal to disband armed factions.”
Naseem Abu Orra stated that the group operates as “an organized force in the south,” led by officers who have defected from President Bashar al-Assad’s military.
The defense ministry can be seamlessly incorporated as an already established organization, complete with an arsenal of weapons and heavy equipment.
The armed faction, under the leadership of local commander Ahmed al-Awdeh, reportedly comprises thousands of fighters and was established in the southern province of Dara’a on December 6. The group’s objective is to assist in the capture of Damascus.
Abu Orra announced that a strategic decision was made to initiate the liberation of the southern region of the country with the objective of advancing towards Damascus from an alternate direction.
He stated that while they had developed their own military strategies in Dara’a, there was “some coordination” with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the northern regions.
The leader of the group, Awdeh, was notably absent from a meeting held on December 25, where several other armed factions reached a consensus to disband and consolidate into a prospective unified military force.
