Syrian rebel forces
Syrian rebel forcesAnadolu via Reuters Connect

Syria's newly formed transitional government on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of the Islamist military commander who led the offensive that brought down longtime President Bashar Al-Assad as the country's new defense minister, AFP reported, citing Syria’s official news agency, SANA.

"The General Command announces the nomination of General Murhaf Abu Qasra as defense minister in the new government of the Syrian Arab Republic," according to a statement quoted in the report.

An official source recently told Reuters that Abu Qasra, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Hassan 600, would be appointed Syria’s defense minister.

Abu Qasra is a senior member of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group, which spearheaded the campaign that led to Assad’s on December 8. He served as the leader of the armed wing of HTS, holding the position for five years.

On Sunday, Abu Qasra was promoted to the rank of general by HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, who now serves as Syria's de facto leader.

Key roles in the transitional government, led by Mohammad al-Bashir, have already been assigned. Bashir, who previously headed the rebels' "Salvation Government" in the northwestern Idlib region, has been named interim prime minister until March 1.

Al-Sharaa last week announced that he has reached an agreement with the leaders of the other Syrian rebel groups to dissolve their organizations and join the new Syrian government.

Under the agreement, the rebel groups will lose their independence and be integrated into the new Syrian army under the Defense Ministry.

In a December 17 interview with AFP, Abu Qasra stated that HTS would be "the first" to disband its armed wing and integrate into national forces, urging other groups to follow suit.

He also outlined plans to extend the new government's authority over semi-autonomous Kurdish-held areas in Syria's north and northwest.

Abu Qasra further called on the international community to "find a solution" to the ongoing Israeli strikes and a recent "incursion" into Syrian territory following Assad's ouster.