Former Assad forces surrender weapons in Damascus

Former members of Syria’s army and security forces, once loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad, gathered in Damascus to surrender their weapons and begin reconciliation procedures

Former members of Syria’s army and security forces, once loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad, gathered in Damascus to surrender their weapons and begin reconciliation procedures overseen by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), now the country’s de facto ruling authority.

The settlement process includes returning state-issued valuables and other items, with participants receiving temporary cards valid for three months while their cases are reviewed. The initiative is part of efforts to reintegrate Assad’s forces into a post-war Syria.

Lieutenant Colonel Walid Abdul Rabo, speaking to Reuters, explained that individuals without criminal charges would be allowed to resume normal civilian life.

“For those who did not shed our blood, life will proceed as it does for any citizen. However, those with legal cases will be dealt with by the judiciary and competent courts,” Abdul Rabo stated.

This development follows the rebels’ seizure of Damascus on December 8, a swift campaign that forced Assad into exile and ended his family’s decades-long rule. The offensive marked the conclusion of Syria’s devastating 13-year civil war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and devastated the nation’s infrastructure and economy.

Now led by Ahmed al-Sharaa—commonly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani—HTS has installed a three-month caretaker government previously operating in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib. The group faces the daunting task of ensuring an orderly transition in a fractured country struggling to rebuild after years of conflict.

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