Under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure, Ahmed al-Sharaa pulled troops from Syria's Druze heartland -- a move that exposes the interim leader's weakness just as he sought to assert control.

Since seizing office in December after ousting longtime autocrat Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has worked to recast himself from jihadist to statesman, even earning praise from US President Donald Trump as a "tough guy".

But in the early hours of Thursday, he was forced to announce the withdrawal of troops from the Druze-majority city of Sweida, framing it as an effort to avoid confrontation with Israel and prevent further destabilisation in a country still reeling from 14 years of war.

AFP looks at what drove Syria's interim president to this withdrawal -- and whether his leadership is now fatally undermined.

- 'Imbalance of power' -

In his Thursday speech, Sharaa praised the "effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate".

That followed Israeli air strikes targeting the Syrian military headquarters and the vicinity of the presidential palace in........

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