Syrian authorities say rebel groups have agreed to disband

Syria’s rebel groups who fought to oust Bashar al-Assad have agreed to disband and merge into the defense ministry, according to the new administration.

The groups will report to Murhaf Abu Qasra, the former military head of leading rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and will include army officers who defected from Assad’s regime. Syria’s leaders now face the “daunting” task of trying to avoid clashes between the different groups, Reuters reported.

The move comes as mass protests in Damascus and elsewhere erupted Tuesday after a Christmas tree was deliberately set on fire. The demonstrators demanded that HTS protect religious freedoms, and the group said two foreign fighters were detained over the incident.

The country’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has told Western media that the new authorities will not seek revenge on former regime members nor repress any religious minority.