Syria's Sharaa urges gunmen to surrender after clashes

DAMASCUS: Syria's leader Ahmed al Sharaa urged insurgents from ousted president Bashar al Assad's minority to lay down their arms and surrender after the fiercest attacks on the war-torn country's new rulers yet. 'You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it,' Sharaa said in a speech broadcast on Telegram by the Syrian presidency. 'Lay down your weapons and surrender before it's too late.'

Restoring security has been one of the most complex tasks for Syria's new authorities, installed after they ousted Assad in a lightning offensive in December. In his Friday address, Sharaa, who headed the coalition that forced out Assad, also vowed to keep working towards 'monopolising weapons in the hands of the state'. 'There will be no more unregulated weapons,' he pledged. Western powers and Syria's neighbours have emphasised the need for unity in the new Syria, which is seeking funds for reconstructing a nation ravaged by years of war under Assad. — AFP