Former rebels have been promoted to officers in the future Syrian army under a decree by the country’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sara, including foreign jihadists, experts say.

The new authority, which emerged from a coalition led by radical Islamists, had last week unveiled an agreement with all armed groups to disband them and integrate them under the auspices of the defence ministry.

In the decree, which was published late yesterday, Sunday evening, on the Telegram account maintained by the General Administration of Ahmad al-Sara, 49 names are mentioned, including those of Syrian rebels and former army officers who deserted and joined from the first moment in the Islamist insurgency.

These promotions take place within the framework of the development and modernisation of the army in order to guarantee security and stability, the decree explains. These are the first military promotions since the coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power after ousting Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

Two people are getting the rank of general, most notably Murhaf Abu Kasra, the HTS military chief who is expected to take over as defence minister in the transitional government. Five others become brigadier generals, and about 40 attain the rank of colonel.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has an extensive network of sources in Syria, identified at least six foreign jihadists on the list: one Albanian, one Jordanian, one Tajik, one Turkestan Uyghur, as well as a Turk from HTS.

As for the Syrian officers, most are from HTS, while the rest are from allied factions, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Also read: Syria | Agreement on the Dissolution of Armed Organisations and their Subordination to the Ministry of Defence