Syria’s main international airport in Damascus will reopen next week, the new government said Saturday, as it tries to restore a sense of normalcy after the uprising that ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
The announcement came amid tensions along the border between Syria and Lebanon, where four Lebanese soldiers were injured in clashes on Friday night. The Lebanese military said Syrian fighters fired on Lebanese soldiers along the border.
Ahmad al-Shara, Syria’s new de facto leader, faces the challenge of bringing order to a country ravaged by 14 years of civil war that has divided it into several warring regions and fueled the proliferation of armed groups.
Mr. al-Shara, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that spearheaded the surprise attack that ousted Mr. al-Assad, has worked to project a moderate image, meeting with Western officials and trying to reassure both Syrian and foreign governments that the country is on a stable path.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon spoke with Mr. al-Shara to discuss border violence, according to the Lebanese leader’s office. During the call, Mr. al-Shara pledged that “Syrian authorities are doing everything necessary to restore calm on the border and prevent a recurrence of the issue,” Mr. al-Shara’s office said. Mikati in a statement.
The authorities of the countries bordering Syria feared that the overthrow of Mr. Assad would lead to chaos that could expand.
In eastern Syria, Turkish-backed fighters continue to battle Kurdish forces, which have established an autonomous region. At the same time, there have been sporadic clashes between the new regime and prisoners still loyal to Mr. al-Assad.
On Saturday, forces linked to the new Syrian government were searching for “remnants of the Asadi militias” near the central city of Homs, state media agency SANA reported, after two former officials were arrested overnight.
In an effort to prevent possible attacks from Syrian soil, Israeli forces have bombed military sites across the country and sent their troops into a once demilitarized security zone between the two sides. Jordan also partially closed its land crossing with Syria.
Mr. al-Shara and his allies tried to disband the remaining militant groups under the auspices of a single armed force. Last week, they officially appointed a new deputy defense secretary to oversee the transition.
Here are other developments in the area:
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Battle of Gaza: Israel’s military said its troops are continuing a three-month ground operation in northern Gaza, where Gaza health officials say Israeli forces are encircling the Indonesian Hospital, one of the last in the area. The Israeli military says it has no intention of immediately evacuating the approximately 20 patients and medical workers at the compound. Israel has repeatedly raided hospitals since the start of the war in Gaza, saying Hamas is using them as military bases. Hamas denied the accusation.
