Syria forms committee to draft constitutional declaration

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has announced the formation of a committee to draft a constitutional declaration for the country's transition after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

The new authorities are focused on rebuilding Syria and its institutions after Assad's removal on Dec. 8, 2024, ending more than half a century of his family's iron-fisted rule and 13 years of devastating war.

The presidency announced "the formation of a committee of experts,” including two women, tasked with drafting "the constitutional declaration that regulates the transitional phase" in Syria.

One of the experts gives lectures at a university in Türkiye’s southeastern city of Mardin, according to Turkish media.

The seven-member committee would "submit its proposals to the president,” it said in a statement, without specifying a timeframe.

Syria's new authorities have repealed the Assad-era constitution, with Sharaa saying that rewriting it could take up to three years.

In late January, Sharaa promised a "constitutional declaration" to serve as a "legal reference" during the country's transitional period.

 Syria forces deploy in Damascus suburb

In another development in the country, the forces of Syria's new authorities deployed in a Damascus suburb following deadly clashes with Druze gunmen amid tensions after Israeli demands to protect the minority group.

Jaramana, a mostly Druze and Christian suburb of the capital, saw a fatal shooting at a checkpoint on Feb. 28, followed a day later by clashes between security forces and local gunmen tasked with protecting the area, according to a war monitor.

Local security chief Hossam Tahhan said that "our forces have begun deploying" in Jaramana to end the "chaos and illegal checkpoints by outlaw groups,” according to a statement on official news agency SANA.

He vowed to arrest those involved in Friday's killing of a defense ministry employee at a checkpoint, saying the culprits had "refused" to hand themselves in.

Restoring and maintaining security across Syria remains one of the most pressing challenges for the new authorities after Bashar al-Assad's December overthrow.

Adding to tensions, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning to the new Islamist-led authorities not "to harm the Druze,” who also live in Lebanon, Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt also announced his forthcoming visit to Syria for a meeting with Sharaa amid escalating tensions between the Syrian forces and the Druze community.