Ahmed Al-Sara becomes Syria's interim president

Ahmad Al-Saharaa, a rebel once associated with Al-Qaidan, is the leader of the group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), reported Radio Free Europe.

His appointment came after former leaders canceled the existing Constitution, saying a new one would be drafted soon.

The announcement was made by the spokesman for the new Syrian government's de facto military operations sector, Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, the state news agency SANA said.

Al-Sahara was expected to appear in a televised speech after the meeting, but did not do so immediately and it remained unclear if he would.

The exact mechanism under which he was elected interim president was not also clear.

Al-Sahara, formerly known as Abu Mohammed Al-Jolan, led the lightning offensive that brought down Assad in early December.

Once the group was linked to Al-Qaeda, but has since denounced its earlier ties and in recent years, Al-Sahara has tried to appear as a champion of pluralism and tolerance and has promised to protect the rights of women and religious minorities.

The United States had previously established a $10 million reward for Al-Sahara, but canceled it last month after an American delegation visited Damascus and met with it.

The top American diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, said after the meeting that Al-Saharaa was seen as “pramatic”.

There was no immediate reaction from the Arab world or beyond the appointment of Al-Saras, expected.

Western countries, although moving to restore ties with Damascus after Assad's overthrow, are still somewhat careful of Syria's new Islamic rulers.

Abdul Ghan, the spokesman, also announced on Wednesday the annulment of the country's constitution adopted in 2012, under Assad's rule and said Al-Sahara would be authorised to form a temporary legislative council until a new Constitution is drafted.

All armed factions in the country will be disbanded, Abdul Ghan said, and will be absorbed into state institutions.

Since Assad's fall, HTS has become the de facto ruling party and has created a provisional government consisting mainly of local government officials it previously headed in the rebel-controlled province of Idlib.

Temporary authorities have promised to launch an inclusive process to create a new government and constitution, including calling a national dialogue conference and inviting different Syrian communities, though a date has not been set.

Until the former Syrian army collapsed with Assad's fall, Al-Sahara has called for the creation of a new unified national army and security forces, but questions have been raised about how the provisional administration can unite a group of former rebel groups, each with its own groups. Leaders and ideology.

At the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos this month, Assad al-Sheban, Syria's Foreign Minister and HSS official, said the country needs members of the international community as it begins reconstruction after 14 years of brutal civil war.