Syria’s "new leader" assures new authorities have no ties to Al Qaeda

Syria’s new authorities have nothing to do with the Al Qaeda terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) and are acting in the interests of their country, Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, said.

"We have severed ties with Al Qaeda. Our relations [with this group] are a thing of the past. <…> Now, we have no relations with any external groups or players," the Al Arabiya television channel quoted him as saying.

"Now I am acting in Syria’s supreme interests," he said, adding that he never took part in hostilities in Iraq.