ISTANBUL Syrian armed factions agreed on Tuesday to dissolve themselves and merge under the Defense Ministry, state media said. The state news agency SANA said the move was taken during a meeting in Damascus between the head of Syria’s new administration Ahmed al-Sharaa and representatives of the revolutionary factions in the country. Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which