Syria’s main international airport in Damascus will reopen next week in a bid to restore normality following the uprising that ousted President Bashar al-Assad, the new government said on Saturday.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions on the Syrian-Lebanese border, with four Lebanese soldiers wounded in clashes last Friday night. The Lebanese army said Syrian militants opened fire on Lebanese soldiers along the border.
Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmad al-Shara, faces the challenge of bringing order to a country ravaged by a 14-year civil war that has split into several war zones and sparked the spread of armed groups.
Mr. al-Shara, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the surprise attack that ousted President al-Assad, has sought to project a moderate image, meeting with senior Western figures and trying to reassure both Syrians and foreigners. The government is confident that the country is on a stable path.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he discussed border violence with Prime Minister Al-Shara, according to the Lebanese Leader’s Office. During the call, Al-Shara promised that “Syrian authorities are taking all necessary measures to restore stability on the border and prevent problems from recurring,” Mikati’s office said in a statement.
Authorities in countries bordering Syria have been concerned that President Assad’s ouster would lead to chaos.
In eastern Syria, Turkish-backed fighters continue to fight Kurdish forces who have formed an autonomous region. At the same time, there have been sporadic clashes between the new regime and forces still loyal to al-Assad.
State media SANA reported on Saturday that troops from the new Syrian government were searching for “remnants of Amsadist militias” near the central city of Homs after arresting two former officials overnight.
To deter potential attacks from Syrian territory, Israeli forces have bombed military bases across the country and sent troops into the once-demilitarized buffer zone between the two sides. Jordan has also partially closed land crossings with Syria.
Mr al-Shara and his allies have been trying to disband the remaining armed groups under the protection of a single military unit. Last week, they formally appointed a new acting secretary of defense to oversee the transition.
In another development in the region, Israel continued its military operation in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The Civil Defense Corps, a rescue agency under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, reported that at least 11 people were killed and more than 20 missing in at least two airstrikes. The agency does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its totals. The Israeli military said it hit Hamas fighters in Gaza City in one strike and did not mention other attacks.
