President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday urged Syrians to work together to rebuild their country as they marked a year since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Al-Sharaa-led alliance launched a lightning offensive in late November last year, taking the capital Damascus on December 8 after nearly 14 years of war and putting an end to more than five decades of the al-Assad family’s iron-fisted rule.

Following dawn prayers at Damascus’s famous Umayyad Mosque, al-Sharaa “praised the sacrifices and heroism of the fighters” who entered Damascus, a presidency statement said.

“The current phase requires the unification of efforts by all citizens to build a strong Syria, consolidate its stability, safeguard its sovereignty, and achieve a future befitting the sacrifices of its people,” al-Sharaa said, wearing military garb as he did when he entered the capital a year ago.

Syrians since late November have been marking the first anniversary since the offensive began, with celebrations culminating Monday in events in Damascus, including a military parade and a planned speech by al-Sharaa.

Al-Sharaa has managed to restore Syria’s international standing and has won sanctions relief.

But he faces major challenges in guaranteeing security, rebuilding crumbling institutions, regaining Syrians’ trust and keeping his country united.

Sectarian bloodshed in the country’s Alawite and Druze minority heartlands, alongside ongoing Israeli military operations, have shaken the country’s fragile transition.

In a statement, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “what lies ahead is far more than a political transition; it is the chance to rebuild shattered communities and heal deep divisions.”

“It is an opportunity to forge a nation where every Syrian -- regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or political affiliation -- can live securely, equally, and with dignity,” he said in the statement, urging international support.

The Kurdish administration, that controls swathes of northeast Syria, is to integrate its institutions into the central government by year-end under a March deal, but progress has stalled.

Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi, in a post on X on Sunday, reaffirmed the Kurds’ commitment to the deal, saying it was the foundation “for building a democratic, decentralized Syria... strengthened by the values of freedom, justice and equality.”