Syrian transitional government chief "will not rule out any sect"

Ahmed al-Shara, the head of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who leads Syria's transitional government, has promised that "no sect will be ruled out in Syria."

"A new era, far from sectarianism, has begun," Alshara told Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Zumbalat during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday local time.

"We are proud of our culture, religion, and Islam, but being a member of Islam does not exclude other sects," he said, stressing that "on the contrary, it is our duty to protect them."

Syria is a mix of religions, sects, and ethnic groups, from the Sunni and Shiite factions of the Druze faction, Christians, Alawis, and Kurds.