In December 2024, a coalition of armed opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and dissolved Syria’s armed forces. The briefing discussed the attempts of Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government to integrate the different armed groups under a reformed Ministry of Defence, and to establish a monopoly on the use of force. It also discussed the continued role of major non-state armed groups in the country, the role of regional and international