Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa called on Sunday for peace and national unity after days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of Assad’s government that have killed more than 1,000 people, per numbers cited by a war monitor.

 

"We must preserve national unity (and) civil peace as much as possible and, God willing, we will be able to live together in this country," Sharaa said in a speech delivered from a mosque in Damascus.

 

He added that the current situation in Syria is among the “challenges the country had anticipated,” pointing to recent armed attacks in Latakia and Tartus carried out by remnants of the Assad regime.

 

Speaking after the dawn prayer at Al-Akram Mosque in the Mazzeh district of Damascus, al-Sharaa emphasized the importance of maintaining national unity and civil peace. He reassured Syrians that their country possesses the resilience needed to withstand ongoing challenges.

 

During his speech, al-Sharaa recalled a personal memory from two decades ago when he prayed in the same mosque—this time, returning as Syria's president.