All militant groups to merge under control of new MoD: Al-Sharaa

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
21 Dec 2024 23:13

HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has announced plans to merge all military factions into a unified entity under the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

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Two Syrian fighters pose for the photographer as they patrol in downtown Damascus, Syria, Dec. 19, 2024 (AP)

The head of the new administration in Syria and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, confirmed that all military factions will be merged into a single entity under the control of the Ministry of Defense in the new Syrian army.

Al-Sharaa also appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, formerly known as Abu Hassan al-Hamwi, as defense minister in the interim Syrian government.

Earlier, the new Syrian leader appointed Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani, previously known as Zaid al-Attar, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in this government.

Sources indicate that al-Shaybani is the same individual as Zaid al-Attar, the head of the Political Affairs Administration in the Salvation Government.

Al-Shaybani had used several aliases over time, including Naseem, Abu Aisha, Abu Ammar al-Shami, Hossam al-Shafai, and finally Zaid al-Attar.

In this context, Al Mayadeen's correspondent confirmed that all members of the interim government are members of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and have adopted alias names.

Azzam Gharib appointed Governor of Aleppo

In a related context, the new Syrian administration has appointed Azzam Gharib, known by the alias Abu al-Ezz Saraqib, as the Governor of Aleppo. Gharib is considered one of the prominent leaders of the Sham Front, a faction affiliated with the Turkish-backed "National Syrian Army".

According to a biography issued by the Sham Front, Gharib was born in the city of Saraqib in Idlib Governorate in 1985.

He graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry at Aleppo University in 2006 and later continued his studies at Imam al-Ouzai College in 2019. He also obtained a master’s degree in Quranic Interpretation from the Faculty of Theology at Bingol University in Turkiye in 2023.

Gharib was unable to complete his studies in Automatic Control Engineering at Aleppo University due to the political unrest in the country in 2011.

He joined the ranks of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and the Islamic Front during the early stages of the war on Syria and later became deputy leader of the Sham Front before assuming its leadership in 2023.