US Envoy Urges Syrian Leadership to Embrace Inclusivity Amidst Turmoil

A U.S. envoy has pressed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to adopt more inclusive practices following a spike in sectarian violence, warning that failure to embrace diversity could result in the loss of international backing and internal fragmentation.

Thomas Barrack, the U.S. envoy, emphasized in a Beirut interview that Sharaa must revitalize elements from Syria's pre-war military structure and obtain regional security aid. Without such measures, Barrack indicated, Sharaa risks losing the momentum that brought him to power after Assad's fall in December last year.

The ongoing conflict claimed more lives after fresh clashes involved Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and Sharaa's forces. This prompted Israel to intervene with airstrikes against government troops. Barrack advised an expedited integration of minorities while refuting reports of Syrian security forces violating Druze rights, suggesting Islamic State militants might be majorly responsible.

(With inputs from agencies.)