Ahmed al-Sharaa, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria. Photo: (IRNA/VNA)

They agreed to dissolve all factions and merge them under a unified defense ministry, Syria's state news agency SANA said in a statement. The statement did not provide further details on the meeting, nor the agreement. The announcement came as Syria navigates a sensitive political transition following the downfall of the previous government earlier this month.

More than 25,000 Syrians returned home from Turkey in the last 15 days, a seven-fold increase compared to the past few years, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Tuesday.

The Turkish government has simplified the process for Syrian returnees, allowing them to take personal belongings like household items and vehicles, and has introduced new measures which will allow one member of each Syrian family to cross the border to and from Syria three times between January and July 2025.