HTS says Syria will not interfere 'negatively' in Lebanon

Syria will not "negatively" interfere in Lebanon's affairs, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) told a visiting delegation of Druze leaders on Sunday.

HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) said Syria would respect its southern neighbour's sovereignty, as well as "the unity of its territories, the independence of its decisions and its security stability".

Sharaa, whose group overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, was speaking to visiting Lebanese Druze chiefs Walid and Taymour Jumblatt as he continued attempts to normalise Syria's relations with its neighbours after more than 13 years of civil war.

"It will keep an equal distance from everyone" in Lebanon, he added, noting that Syria was "a source of fear and anxiety" in the country.

Syria and Lebanon's affairs have been heavily intertwined for decades, with Syrian forces occupying much of northern Lebanon between 1976 and 2005.

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