The general command of the armed Syrian opposition factions announced on Saturday the appointment of Asaad Al-Shibani as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new government.
According to the opposition-affiliated Syria TV, which broadcasts from Istanbul, Al-Shibani is the same individual previously known as “Zaid al-Attar”. Al-Attar was in charge of foreign relations when the al-Nusra Front transitioned into Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). The “Al-Ma’rifa” website reported that al-Attar, who resided in Turkey until 2024, was a founder of Al-Nusra Front alongside Abu Mohammad Al-Golani (Ahmed Al-Sharaa). Al-Shibani has used several aliases, including: Nassim, Abu Aisha, Abu Ammar Al-Shami, Hussam Al-Shafei, and Zaid Al-Attar.
Al-Shibani hails from an Arab family from the Hasakah countryside and studied translation in the open education program. During his leadership of the “Political Affairs Department,” Al-Shibani met with officials from United Nations agencies and major international organisations operating in Idlib, which was under the control of HTS prior to the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, as well as with political representatives and diplomats.
US Removes Reward for HTS Leader Amid Shift in Syria
The US has scrapped a $10m (EGP 500m) reward for the arrest of Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, also known as “Abu Mohammad Al-Golani.” This decision follows meetings between senior diplomats and representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The removal coincided with a US delegation informing Al-Sharaa, who is also leading military operations in Syria, that Washington intended to cancel the reward.
On Friday, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf discussed her meeting in Damascus with Al-Sharaa, who is designated as a terrorist by the United States, during a virtual press conference. Leaf described Al-Golani as “pragmatic”, stating the initial meeting was “very good, productive, and detailed.” She added that discussions included various domestic and foreign issues and that al-Shara seemed pragmatic during the meeting. Leaf further noted, “We have previously heard some very pragmatic and moderate statements regarding various issues such as women’s rights and minorities.” Leaf also stated that they “will judge by actions and not just words, and this is important.” She indicated that she “listened to him talk about his priorities, which are largely focused on putting Syria on a path towards economic recovery.”
HTS Leader Becomes De Facto Syrian Leader; Former Regime Members Register
Until 27 November, Al-Sharaa was simply the leader of a designated terrorist group controlling parts of northern Syria. However, following the announcement of the previous regime’s fall on 8 December, he has become the de facto leader of the country, attracting international attention and media coverage. In recent days, he has met with numerous European delegations in the capital, Damascus.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a large number of former security forces members of toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime began to go to registration centres in Damascus for the “Identification and Reconciliation Process” announced by the Military Operations Administration. Last Tuesday, the Military Operations Administration announced the opening of a settlement centre for elements of the Al-Assad regime in the Daraa governorate. The Operations Administration, in a statement via the Telegram app, called on all personnel to visit the centre at the military security building in the city of Daraa to complete the settlement procedures and receive a temporary card. The statement said, “Everyone is requested to bring all documents, equipment, and assets in their possession,” warning of prosecution for non-compliance, providing false, or incomplete information. On 15 December, the Military Operations Administration stated that it would open “settlement centres for the criminal regime elements” in the Latakia governorate. Just two days after the fall of the Assad regime, the administration announced the opening of a settlement centre in the city of Homs.
Iranian diplomat killed, fighting continues in Manbij
On Saturday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the killing of an employee of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, who was shot by gunmen last Sunday. The Ministry held the transitional Syrian government responsible for identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators of the murder, affirming that it is following the matter through various diplomatic and international channels. The official spokesperson for the Ministry, as reported by the Mehr News Agency, stated that the employee, named Seyed Davoud Bitarraf, was killed when “terrorist elements” opened fire on his car in Damascus.
Additionally, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Saturday that they had repelled what they described as a fierce attack by Turkish-backed factions near the Tishrin Dam in Manbij, in the Syrian governorate of Aleppo. The SDF Media Center stated that violent clashes are still ongoing around the Tishrin Dam. They explained that members of the Manbij Military Council repelled the attack and destroyed a tank belonging to the attacking forces. The number of casualties and injuries among the attackers is still unknown due to the ongoing clashes.
Israeli army kills protester
The Israeli military said its forces shot a protester during a demonstration against the army’s activities in a village in southern Syria on Friday, injuring him in the leg.
Since Islamist-led rebels toppled Syrian president Al-Assad on 8 December, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military facilities in what it says is a bid to prevent them from falling into hostile hands.
In a move widely condemned internationally, Israel also sent troops into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone in the Occupied Syrian Golan Heights and beyond, calling it a defensive and temporary measure.
“During a protest against Israeli military’s activities in the area of Maariya in southern Syria, the Israeli military called on protesters to distance themselves from the troops,” the military told Agence France-Presse.
The village is just outside the southern point of the UN-patrolled zone.
“After the troops identified a threat, they operated in accordance with standard operating procedures against the threat … The protester was shot in the leg,” the military said.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the Israeli troops were stationed at a barracks in the village.
“During a protest condemning the Israeli incursion, a young man was injured by Israeli forces’ gunfire in the village of Maariya, in the Daraa region,” the observatory said.
