Former al Qaeda commander and now Syrian leader Ahmed al Sharaa has been welcomed by Donald Trump to the White House.

It was the first visit to the Oval Office by a Syrian head of state since the country gained independence in 1946.

Mr Sharaa, 43, who once had a $10m US bounty on his head, led rebel forces that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad last December , and was named interim leader in January.

The US president called Mr al Sharaa a "very strong leader" after their meeting and suggested the US would work to help the country succeed.

"He comes from a very tough place," Mr Trump said, adding Mr al Sharaa is a "tough guy" and "I like him".

Mr Sharra has "had a rough past", but added, "we've all had a rough past", he added.

Mr Trump has become one of the Syrian president's mor

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