Syria's leader signs a constitution under which the country will be ruled by an Islamist group for five years

DAMASCUS (AP) - Syria's interim president signed an interim constitution Thursday that leaves the country under Islamist rule while promising to protect the rights of all Syrians during a five-year transition phase.

The country's interim rulers have been trying to assert their authority over much of Syria since the former Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir-e-Sham (HTS) led a lightning uprising that toppled longtime President Bashar Assad in December.

Former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa is now the country's interim president, a decision announced after a meeting of the armed groups involved in the offensive against Assad. At the same meeting, the groups agreed to abolish the country's old constitution and said a new constitution would be drafted.

But Al-Awak, a constitutional law expert who teaches at Turkey's Mardin Artuklu University, also said the interim constitution contains provisions that enshrine freedom of speech and media.

The constitution, he said, will "balance social security and freedom" in Syria's divisive political situation and will establish "absolute and firm separation" between the legislative, executive and judiciary.

The text of the interim constitution, published late on Thursday evening, establishes a People's Committee to serve as an interim parliament until a permanent constitution is adopted and elections are held. Two-thirds of its members will be appointed by a committee chosen by the interim president and one-third by al-Sharaa himself.

The documents state that the state is "committed to combating all forms of violent extremism while respecting rights and freedoms" and that "citizens are equal before the law in rights and duties without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex or gender." It stipulates that the army is a "professional national institution" and weapons outside its control are prohibited, and makes "glorifying the former Assad regime" a criminal offence.

A new committee will be formed to draft a permanent constitution, but it is not clear whether it will be more inclusive of Syrian political, religious and ethnic groups.

Al-Sharaa on Monday reached a landmark agreement with Kurdish-backed authorities in northeastern Syria that includes a ceasefire and the merger of their armed forces with central government security forces.

The deal was struck after government forces and allied groups last week put down an uprising launched by militants loyal to Assad. Rights groups say hundreds of civilians - mostly from the minority Alawite sect to which Assad belongs - have been killed in retaliatory attacks by factions in the counter-offensive.

The main objective of the interim constitution was to set a timetable for the country's political transition from the transitional phase. In December, Al-Sharaa said that it could take up to three years to rewrite the Syrian constitution and up to five years to organise and hold elections.

Al-Sharaa appointed a committee to draft a new constitution after a national dialogue conference in Syria last month called for the promulgation of an interim constitution and the holding of provisional parliamentary elections. Critics said the hastily organised conference did not include Syria's various ethnic and sectarian groups or civil society.

The United States and Europe are hesitant to lift the harsh sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad's rule until they are convinced that the new leaders will create an inclusive political system and protect minorities. Al-Sharaa and regional governments are urging them to consider doing so, fearing that the country's crumbling economy could bring further instability.

The Israeli army said the target of the airstrike on the Damascus suburb of Dummar was the command centre of the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Meanwhile, thousands of Syrians who fled sectarian violence are still sheltering at a Russian air base in the coastal province of Latakia.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday that "our army has sheltered more than 8,000, probably closer to 9,000 Syrians, mostly women and children, according to yesterday's figures".

Kareem Chehayeb reports from Beirut. Abdelrahman Shaheen contributed to this report from Damascus.

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