Syrian armed factions have agreed to dissolve themselves and merge under the Defence Ministry, state media said.

The state news agency SANA said on Tuesday that the move was taken during a meeting in Damascus between the head of Syria's new administration Ahmed al Sharaa and representatives of the revolutionary factions in the country.

Bashar al Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on December 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.