Syria’s rebel groups will be disbanded and absorbed into the national army, the head of the faction which ousted Bashar al-Assad has said.

Meeting the country’s religious minority Druze community, Mohammed al-Jolani – who has started using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa – said rebels would be trained to “join the ranks of the defence ministry”.

With his interim government seeking to reassure minorities that they will be protected, Sharaa emphasised the need for unity in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country.

“Syria must remain united,” he said. “There must be a social contract between the state and all religions to guarantee social justice.”

Sharaa had previously suggested Syria’s armed groups would be dissolved and join a national army. It is likely this is intended to prevent future power struggles of the sort seen in Libya.