Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and other anti-government militias entered Damascus on Saturday, taking control over the Syrian capital. The Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Bashar Assad has stepped down as Syrian president and left the country following negotiations with armed opposition groups amid the fall of Damascus to Islamist forces. Assad and his family have now arrived in Moscow, and have been granted asylum, Russian officials have confirmed.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad al-Jalali has already offered to cooperate “with any leadership chosen by the people,” also claiming that he remains in his home.
HTS, a group led by a former Al-Qaeda commander and previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, launched a surprise offensive from the opposition-held province of Idlib in northern Syria last week.
Jihadists have already driven the Syrian Army from the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Al-Qusayr at the border with Lebanon.
Other opposition and militant groups operating in Syria also seized several parts of the country. The US-sponsored Free Syrian Army (FSA) has taken control of the ancient site of Palmyra, while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also backed by the US have seized Deir ez-Zor.
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09 December 2024
Qatar and Egypt have condemned Israel’s seizure of land in the Syrian-controlled areas of the Golan Heights, calling it a violation of international law.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that it considers it “a dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria’s sovereignty and unity…”
Egypt said the movement of Israeli tanks and infantry to the area following the overthrow of the Syrian government amounted to the “occupation of Syrian land” and a “severe breach” of a 1974 armistice deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he has ordered Israeli forces to grab a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. The decades-old agreement collapsed when Syrian soldiers abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover, the Israeli leader claimed.
“We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border,” Netanyahu stated.
Türkiye and the UN have discussed the transition period in Syria and possible steps to rebuild the country, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters on Monday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also talked about the access of humanitarian aid into Syria, according to the report.
Syria’s armed opposition has announced a general amnesty for all military personnel conscripted into service under former President Bashar Assad.
“Their lives are safe and no one can assault them,” the Military Operations Department said on Telegram on Monday.
Three Scandinavian nations – Denmark, Sweden, and Norway – have all announced they are putting asylum decisions regarding Syrian refugees on hold, citing the “unstable” situation in the country.
“Given the situation, it is simply impossible to make a judgement on the need for protection,” the Swedish Migration Agency’s legal chief, Carl Bexelius, said in a written statement on Monday, as quoted by The Local.
The Danish Refugee Appeals Board reportedly said it was closely following developments in Syria and will discuss refugee cases at its next meeting in January.
Türkiye will back the reconstruction of Syria and the return of millions of refugees, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
“We will continue our work to ensure the safe and voluntary return of Syrians and for the country’s reconstruction,” Fidan told a conference of Turkish ambassadors in Ankara. Türkiye currently hosts an estimated 3 million displaced Syrians.
Israel has deployed paratrooper, engineering, infantry, and armored units to the Syrian border to secure the area, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said. West Jerusalem earlier said it would take control over “the buffer zone” not far from Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Germany and Austria are suspending asylum procedures for Syrian nationals as the authorities scramble to reassess the situation after the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government, local media have reported.
According to Spiegel, Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees “issued an immediate freeze” on the decision-making process, with its spokesperson telling the magazine that it is impossible to continue handling applications “on shaky ground.” More than 47,000 asylum applications from Syrians are now pending, the article said, adding that those already exiting won’t be affected.
Austria turned out to be in the same position, according to Kronen Zeitung. The paper said that more than 12,000 Syrians have applied for asylum in the EU country this year alone.
Türkiye was well aware of the Syrian opposition’s plans to launch a lightning offensive, which resulted in the swift collapse of Bashar Assad’s government, Reuters has reported.
An unnamed member of the opposition told the agency that “there was no way the rebels could go ahead without first notifying” Ankara, which has been their major backer for years. The militants reportedly sent a message to Ankara – which has allegedly long opposed a major offensive on Assad loyalists and preferred a political solution – saying: “That other path hasn’t worked for years – so try ours. You don’t have to do anything, just don’t intervene.”
An unnamed Turkish official insisted that the Syrian jihadists “do not receive orders or direction from us,” adding that, “in that sense,” it would be incorrect to assume that Ankara had approved the surprise attack.
An unnamed US official told Reuters that, while Washington had been aware of Türkiye’s overall support for the opposition forces, “it was not informed of any tacit Turkish approval for the Aleppo offensive.”
Iran failed to send military aid and reinforcements to Bashar Assad’s government days before its collapse due to fears that Israel could intercept them, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing Syrian officials.
They claimed that Tehran had dispatched a plane to Syria with unspecified cargo, but it “made a U-turn because of the threat of Israeli airstrikes.”
Instead, Iran ordered its troops and Tehran-aligned militia to stay out of the fight, and later “coordinated a safe exit for its personnel and cut a deal for its fighters to peacefully hand territory over to the rebels,” the article said.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was “surprised” by Assad forces’ inability to contain the jihadist advance, pointing out that they had been furnished with the necessary intel to do so.
Former Syrian prime minister Riad Hijab could become the head of the transition government following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government, Le Figaro has reported. This would mean that the US would avoid having to deal with Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the controversial leader of the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group, the French daily reported.
Hijab, an agricultural engineer by training, was originally a member of Assad’s Ba’ath Party and was appointed prime minister in June 2012 as Syria plunged into civil strife. Less than two months later, however, he defected to the opposition and fled to Jordan. Between 2015 and 2017, he served as the head of the High Negotiations Committee, which sought to secure peace between Syria’s warring factions.
Russia is maintaining contact with Türkiye and other regional actors over the turmoil in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. “Of course, it is very important to maintain dialogue with all regional nations. We are determined to do this, we will consult with them and analyze the situation.”
The presence of Israeli forces in Syria will only be “temporary,” the sole purpose being to ensure the Jewish state’s security, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said. West Jerusalem earlier announced that it would establish buffer zones not far from the Golan Heights, which is mostly occupied by Israel, saying that the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria has “collapsed.”
“It is too early to talk about” whether Russia will retain its military bases in Syria after the demise of Bashar Assad’s government, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. “In any case, this is a matter to discuss with those who come to power in Syria… There will be a serious conversation,” he said, pointing to the ongoing “instability” and transition period in the country.
Putin has no scheduled meetings with Assad, Peskov has said. “Regarding Assad’s whereabouts, we have nothing to say,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was the one who granted former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family asylum in the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. “Of course, such moves cannot be made without the decision of the head of state. This is his decision,” he said, declining to provide further details.
The US is staying in touch with Türkiye and attempting to establish a deconfliction mechanism for the city of Manbij in northern Syria, according to the Washington Post. The district has been an arena of fierce clashes between Ankara-backed Syrian fighters and Kurdish militants, which Türkiye deems a terrorist threat.
The US maintains contact with all Syrian factions, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which it has designated as terrorist, the Washington Post has reported, citing sources. A US official, however, told the paper that Washington could potentially remove the group, which is known as an offshoot of Jabhat al-Nusra, from the blacklist.
“We have to be smart… and also very mindful and pragmatic about the realities on the ground,” the official said.
The Syrian Embassy in Moscow has raised the flag of the opposition, RIA Novosti and TASS have reported. Unlike that of former President Bashar Assad’s government, the flag of the opposition has one green stripe instead of a red stripe, and also has three stars instead of two in the middle. According to TASS, the situation near the Syrian mission is calm.
Iran has established a “direct line of communication” with Syria’s armed opposition to “prevent a hostile trajectory” between the two countries after the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government, Reuters has reported, citing a senior official in Tehran.
The source told the agency that Iran is open to dialogue with the new leadership in Damascus as it faces the loss of an important ally in Syria and the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, known for his hawkish stance on Iran.
“This engagement is key to stabilize ties and avoiding further regional tensions,” the official noted.
The Türkiye-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) has captured the district of Manbij in the northern part of Syria, pushing back Kurdish-aligned forces which Ankara deems terrorists, NTV reports. The outlet said that “search and sweep activities for mines and traps are being carried out.”
The Syrian armed opposition is now in control of Latakia province in the western part of the country, which is home to two Russian military bases, TASS has reported, citing a local source. The compounds are currently under no threat, it added.
“The armed forces of the opposition have not invaded nor do they intend to invade the territory of Russian military bases, which are operating in a normal mode,” the source said.
The Israeli military has been ordered to establish complete control over the buffer zone on the Syrian border in the Golan Heights, Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced. He added that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will seek to create a “security zone free of heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” in the southern part of the neighboring country.
According to Katz, Israel also plans to “immediately prevent and thwart the renewal of the arms smuggling route from Iran to Lebanon through Syria, in Syrian territory and at the border crossing points.” West Jerusalem will continue to destroy “strategic weapons,” including various types of missiles and air defense systems in Syria, over fears they could fall into the wrong hands, he added.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the demise of Bashar Assad’s government, saying that Syria’s future is now in the Syrian people’s hands. “After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can seize a… historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future,” he wrote on X. The UN remains committed to helping Syria achieve reconciliation, justice, freedom, and prosperity for all, he added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged the Syrian armed opposition “to respect human rights, take all precautions to protect civilians, and to uphold international humanitarian law,” adding that Washington supports a peaceful transition of power.
The US, he added, will be closely monitoring the situation in the embattled country. “We have taken note of statements made by rebel leaders in recent days, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” Blinken said.
Israel has carried out a new wave of strikes in Syria’s southern Da’ara province, unconfirmed local media reports claim, releasing a video of the attacks which apparently targeted ammunition depots. This came after the Jewish state moved into Syria, seizing the buffer zone on the Golan Heights which has been mostly occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War.
China “is closely following the situation in Syria” and hopes that the country will soon return to stability, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry has said. The official added that China has been helping its citizens leave the Middle Eastern country if they wish to and offering them advice on how to stay safe.
“We urge relevant parties in Syria to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria. The Chinese Embassy is still up and running and carrying out its duty in Syria,” the spokesperson noted.
The Israeli Army has entered Syrian territory beyond the demilitarized zone between the two nations, the New York Times has reported, citing Israeli officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
The incursion is the most significant since the 1973 war, even though Israel has been conducting covert operations on the ground and delivered airstrikes inside Syria for years, the newspaper said.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he gave the army an order to take over “positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel,” but did not specify which. He claimed the deployment would be temporary.
According to Times, the Israeli military has seized the mountain summit of Mount Hermon on the Syrian side of the border.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, acknowledged that the history of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is “a source of concern,” given its active designation as a terrorist group by the US.
The group that led a coalition of anti-Assad forces that seized Damascus “has had elements affiliated with groups that have American blood on their hands,” Sullivan told reporters at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.
At the same time, Sullivan said Washington should primarily be focused on ensuring that the renewed fighting in Syria would not usher in a resurgence of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and would “not lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.”
US President Joe Biden has warned that the armed opposition in Syria had their own “grim record of terrorism.”
“They’re saying the right things now. But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” the US president said during his address from the White House.
The US has announced “dozens of precision airstrikes targeting known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria.”
The strikes were aimed at ensuring that ISIS “does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria,” US Central Command said.
“All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way,” CENTROM chief, General Michael Kurilla, said.
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, has seemingly confirmed that the former Syrian president has arrived in the Russian capital.
“Bashar Assad and his family are in Moscow,” the diplomat wrote on Telegram. “Russia doesn’t betray its friends in dire situations. That is the difference between Russia and the US.”
08 December 2024
The US is considering removing a $10 million bounty on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the Middle East Eye reported on Sunday night, citing American officials.
The State Department designated al-Jolani as a “global terrorist” in 2013 when he was the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria. Al-Nusra was eventually transformed into HTS, which the US listed as a terrorist organization in 2018.
According to the US, al-Nusra under al-Jolani’s helm was responsible for “multiple terrorist attacks” across Syria, as well as kidnappings and massacres of civilians.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler agree to make sure that the instability in Syria does not affect their anti-ISIS mission or threaten NATO and its partners in the region.
“Our countries will continue to work together to defeat terrorism and ensure the security of our forces,” Austin wrote on X.
Iran was “surprised” by the Syrian army’s inability to stop the rebel forces from taking over the country, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.
He claimed that Tehran had been “fully aware” of the ongoing opposition movements in and around Idlib and had transferred all the relevant information to the Syrian government before the recent developments.
Iran will decide how to interact with Syria’s opposition forces based on their behavior, according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Iranian diplomat said Tehran will consider what policies the new Syrian leadership will adopt against Iran, how they will treat Syrian Shiites, what relations they will have with Israel and how they will distance themselves from terrorist groups.
Reports that Bashar Assad tried to establish a communication line with the US several days before his resignation are untrue, a senior White House official has told journalists.
The representative claimed that Washington did not receive any “requests from Assad” and would not have taken such attempts “seriously” if they had taken place.
Several Syrian embassies, including those in Malaysia, Indonesia and Egypt, have updated their social media profile pictures to show the flag of the Syrian revolution following the fall of the Assad government.
Some of Syria's diplomatic missions have also shared a statement from the country's Foreign Ministry, assuring that diplomatic missions abroad will continue to serve citizens and manage their affairs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated during an interview that Tehran had spoken with “various parties” in Syria and received assurances that Iran’s embassy and consulate in Aleppo, as well as the holy shrines of Zainab and Ruqayyah, would be protected.
“We have been given assurances that the sanctity of these sites will be preserved and that the respect for our embassy will also be upheld,” he said.
Araghchi also noted that a prior intrusion into the Iranian embassy amid the ongoing revolution in Syria was not committed by an organization and instead involved “ordinary people.”
Biden also said he’s seen reports about Assad fleeing to Moscow, although Washington remains uncertain about his whereabouts. He said the US plans to maintain contact with the Syrian opposition during the transition of power.
US President Joe Biden has described the situation in Syria as a turning point, explaining that certain groups in the region have a history of terrorism and human rights violations, and that Washington will assess their actions rather than their statements.
Leaders of the Syrian armed opposition have guaranteed the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions, according to a Kremlin source cited by TASS.
Bashar Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, as Russia has granted them asylum, a source in the Kremlin told agencies TASS and RIA.
The Taliban has congratulated the leadership of Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group which has toppled Assad’s government on what it described as the removal of a “factor of conflict and instability” in the region.
In a post on X, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the power transition process “is advanced in a manner that lays the foundations of a sovereign and service-oriented Islamic government in line with the aspirations of Syrian people.”
The Taliban took power in Kabul in August 2021 during the final stages of the withdrawal of US troops from the country. It had previously ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s but was ousted in 2001 during the US-led invasion. The Taliban insurgency continued for 20 years. Afghanistan’s new government, however, is not officially recognized by any nations.
Israel has conducted three airstrikes against a security complex and research center in Damascus, where it had earlier claimed Iranian scientists were developing missiles, Reuters has reported citing “regional security sources.”
According to other media reports, the government district of the capital is engulfed in flames, with the intelligence, customs, and immigration ministry offices on fire.
Explosions are reportedly being heard in Damascus. Footage of a large fire purportedly raging through the Immigration Department building is circulating online.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued an “urgent warning” to residents of several Syrian villages, as troops push into a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.
“The fighting inside your area is forcing the IDF to act and we do not intend to harm you,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, announced in a post on X. “For your safety, you must stay at home and not go out until further notice.”
The warning refers to Ofaniya, Quneitra, al-Hamidiyah, Samdaniya al-Gharbiyya and al-Qahtaniyah villages close to the Israeli border.
Meanwhile, unverified reports claim the IDF has taken control of Syria’s Hermon mountain range following the withdrawal of government troops.
Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the head of the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group, has arrived in Damascus, the group has said on social media. It has also posted photos of al-Julani purportedly attending the Umayyad Mosque in the Syrian capital.
The US, Russia, Syria, Iran, the UN, and most of the international community have designated him and his organization as a terrorist group.
Unverified videos on social media show what looks like Damascus residents looting the house of President Bashar Assad. The gates to his residence are shattered and people are seen scouring the lavishly decorated hall for valuables.
Israel has captured the buffer zone with Syria “to protect our border,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said. He argued that the the turmoil in the neighboring country has essentially led to a collapse of the 1974 agreement with Damascus that established such a buffer zone on the Golan Heights, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recorded a public address from the Syrian border, touting the fall of the Bashar Assad government as “a historic day” for the Middle East. “The Assad regime, a key link in Iran’s axis of evil, has fallen. This is a direct result of the blows we have dealt to Iran and Hezbollah,” he said.
Only the Syrian people have the right to chart the course of their nation, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has stated, while warning against “destructive intervention.” “Achieving this requires ending military conflicts as soon as possible, preventing terrorist acts, and starting talks with the participation of all segments of Syrian society to form an inclusive government,” it said.
At the same time, Tehran “will spare no effort to help establish security and stability in Syria,” the statement said, adding that Iran “will continue its consultations with all influential parties” in the region and beyond.
The militants who captured Damascus have announced a curfew until Wednesday in the Syrian capital, which will start at 4pm and end at 5am.
It is too early to tell what the end of President Bashar Assad’s rule will spell for Syria and Israel, unnamed officials in West Jerusalem have told The Times of Israel. They suggested that the recent events have “significantly weakened” Iran, but noted that “many of the Syrian rebels are basically al-Qaeda.”
The demise of the Bashar Assad government ushers in “the first great sigh of relief for millions of people in Syria,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said, acknowledging that the fate of the Middle Eastern nation is difficult to predict at this point.
However, she stressed that “the country must not fall into the hands of other radicals – no matter what guise they take,” while urging “the parties to the conflict to live up to their responsibility for all Syrians.”
The fall of Assad’s government will not bring peace to Syria but will rather bring new struggles to the country, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a Tehran University professor and political analyst, has told RT.
“I do not believe the situation in Syria will get better. These extremist groups, after a period of celebration and quiet, will start turning on each other. When they were in Idlib [province], they were constantly at each others’ throats,” he said.
Russia’s military bases in Syria have been put on a high alert amid the unrest in the country, but “there is no serious threat to their security at the moment,” the Foreign Ministry has stated. Moscow operates two major military compounds in Syria – Khmeimim and Tartus Bases – in the western part of the country.
Russia is also taking all the necessary measures to protect its citizens in Syria, officials added.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said it is “following the dramatic events in Syria with great concern,” urging all parties involved to refrain from violence and resolve their differences via a political settlement.
Moscow remains in contact with all factions of the Syrian opposition, the statement read, adding that it urges all stakeholders to respect the interests of all ethnic and religious communities in the country.
Bashar Assad has decided “to abandon his presidential post” and leave Syria as a result of talks with forces operating in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said, stressing that Moscow “took no part in these negotiations.” It added that Assad ordered a peaceful transition of power.
The jihadists claim to have launched an attack on the Kurdish forces in the northern town of Manbij. Unconfirmed media reports suggest that they succeeded in pushing their adversaries from most of the area.
President Bashar Assad is “probably outside of Syria,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said, declining to speculate further. The whereabouts of the Syrian leader remain unclear, with speculation that his plane crashed after leaving Damascus. However, no evidence or sources confirming the claims have emerged so far.
The new Syrian government must be based on the principle of inclusiveness, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said, while warning against “a desire for revenge” and further destabilization of the region. He also signaled that Türkiye would continue to stand against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to prevent them from exploiting the crisis.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has slammed the Bashar Assad government for failing to reconcile with his people and respond to their needs after the conflict was frozen in 2020. This failure caused massive migration, which brought risks to neighboring countries and the EU, he told reporters in Doha.
“As of this morning, Syria has reached a stage where the Syrian people will shape the future of their country,” he said.
Russia will continue to support the Syrian people if they need it, the vice speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper chamber, Konstantin Kosachev, has said. The senator added, however, that it’s unlikely this will be possible “under the conditions of full-scale civil war,” which he said “the Syrians will have to deal with on their own.”
He went on to call the Syrian conflict “a very difficult thing,” predicting that the “civil war won’t end today because there is too much opposition of interests and too much opposition of forces,” including terrorist groups.
The Israeli military has declared “closed military zones” on the Syrian border in a number of settlements on the occupied Golan Heights as part of an effort to increase security. It has told farmers that they will be allowed in some areas “for periods of a few hours, based on military necessity” and only in coordination with the IDF.
The US will maintain its footprint in eastern Syria and make efforts to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), including by working with Washington's regional partners, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro has told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.
The Iraqi embassy in Damascus has been evacuated as jihadists have taken over the Syrian capital, INA News has reported.
Lebanon’s security service has closed two checkpoints on the Syrian border, blocking the road with barbed wire, a local military source has told RT. The only open remaining point of entry to Lebanon remains at the Masna checkpoint, some 30km west of Damascus.
Jihadists and their supporters have entered the Iranian Embassy in Damascus while engaging in looting and vandalism, according to a clip shared by Sabereen News.
Unverified videos on social media appear to show elements of the Syrian military, including Soviet-era tanks and armored vehicles, surrendering to Iraq at the country’s border.
Several statues of Hafez Assad, the Syrian president’s father, have been toppled across Syria, according to footage on social media.
One of the monuments was torn down by a booing crowd in the Damascus suburb, while the other was apparently dismantled in the port city of Latakia.
All flights in and out of the Damascus airport have been suspended amid the turmoil in the Syrian capital, according to a NOTAM communication to pilots and air traffic control.
The Syrian army said that it continues its military operations against “terrorist groups” in Hama, Homs, and Daraa provinces, despite the jihadist announcement that they have toppled the Bashar Assad government, according to a statement shared by several media.
The militants have made their first announcement on national TV, saying that they have “liberated” Damascus, and that “the tyrant Bashar Assad has been toppled.” “We wish all our fighters and citizens to preserve and maintain the property of the state of Syria. Long live Syria,” the statement said.
The jihadist militants have entered the premises of President Bashar Assad’s palace in Damascus, according to footage circulating on social media.
A clip shared by Press TV shows two soldiers firing in the air near what appears to be an entrance to the compound. Other videos show a number of unidentified people walking freely inside the palace.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed that it has deployed the military in the buffer zone with Syria, as well as several other places to ensure Israel’s defense and the safety of the Golan Heights.
“We emphasize that the IDF is not interfering with the internal events in Syria,” the statement read, adding that the military in the area “will continue to operate as long as necessary” to meet its objectives.
Israeli tanks have moved in the “buffer zone” with Syria in the Quneitra area not far from the Golan Heights, mostly occupied by the Jewish state since the 1967 Six-Day War, the Times of Israel has reported, adding that West Jerusalem’s forces launched artillery strikes in the region, with the target unknown.
Local sources told RT that Israeli patrols entered the town of Khan Arnabah in the Quneitra province, killing one young man.
The militant forces are making progress in the western part of Deir ez-Zor province on the Iraqi border, the jihadists said in a statement, adding that “hundreds of regime elements surrendered” in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdulghani, a senior military commander in the area, also said that the jihadist forces have begun entering the city of Deir ez-Zor.
The jihadist forces claim they have freed all prisoners from the Sednaya Prison near Damascus, while announcing “the end of the era of tyranny” at the facility. It is unclear how many inmates were kept in the secretive prison, but they have reportedly numbered in the thousands. Media reports indicate that the prison agreed to surrender the facility in exchange for safe withdrawal.
Top Syrian military commanders have told officers that “President Bashar Assad’s rule ended,” Reuters reported, citing a military source. Footage circulating on social media appears to show military checkpoints in the Damascus area completely abandoned by military personnel.
The administration of US President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria” and remains in touch with regional partners, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett has said.
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a top jihadist commander, has “strictly forbidden” all militant forces in Damascus to approach public institutions and fire weapons into the air. He stressed that the institutions will remain under the supervision of the “former prime minister” until they are officially handed over to the new authorities.
Militants move to capture state media offices in Damascus to “broadcast the victory announcement over Assad”, according to a jihadists' statement quoted by Western media.
Sources among the Islamists announced they are planning to broadcast their first statement to Syrians on state TV.
Protesters arrive at Umayyad Square in the center of the Syrian capital, Al Jazeera reported adding a video supposedly taken in Damascus.
Syrian PM Mohammad al-Jalali has said he is “ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people”, as quoted by Al Jazeera. According to Reuters, Al Jalali also claimed he remains in his home inclined to “support continuity of governance.”
A Syrian military source told Reuters that the national Army command “informs officers of the fall” of Bashar Assad’s government.
Jihadists officially claim Damascus seizure and taking over power in Syria via social media.
The plane reportedly carrying President Bashar Assad has disappeared from radar, according to data from the flight tracker Flightradar. Syrian Airlines Ilyushin Il-76T departed from Damascus International Airport, suddenly lost altitude a few minutes later, and then disappeared from radar.
Syrian officers withdraw from the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff headquarters, Al Jazeera wrote quoting jihadist sources.
Damascus International Airport has been evacuated of all employees, and all flights have been halted, Al Shams Radio claims citing correspondent.
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed that jihadists had entered Damascus, the New York Times wrote quoting two Iranian sources. They also claimed that Syrian forces are withdrawing from the capital.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has been prominent in supporting Syria’s government.
President Bashar Assad has left Damascus to an unknown destination – Reuters citing two senior Syrian officials.
Jihadist forces begin entering Damascus, Islamists have claimed.
Videos circulating online show chaos at the capital’s airport after the assumed withdrawal of security forces.
Videos circulating online show Syrian Army fleeing near what appears to be the Ministry of Interior building.
Israel has launched an attack at the Al-Qusayr crossing between Syria and Lebanon after jihadists claim to have over.
Jihadists appear to have entered Damascus, CNN reported referring to a city resident. Syrian President’s Bashar Assadmilitary defenses in the capital “have actually collapsed”, a source in Islamists’ forces has claimed.
Syrian army withdrew from the northeastern mountains of Latakia towards the city on the Syrian coast, also leaving the city of Salma in the Latakia countryside, Al Jazeera reported quoting Syrian media. The forces also left Rankous and the southern countryside in Zabadani in the Damascus countryside.
Government forces are still in the northern Latakia countryside, and news “circulated by terrorist media platforms” about the withdrawal is false, the country’s Defense Ministry has said. Jihadists have claimed earlier that they now control Daraa, Quneitra, Sweida, and Homs, adding that government forces also left Latakia.
07 December 2024
Washington has “no intention to affect the war’s outcome”, whether to support the Islamists or Assad, The New York Times wrote, citing the US President’s Joe Biden aides. US intelligence agencies are also monitoring supposed chemical weapons storage sites in Syria, looking for signs that Assad forces are preparing to employ them against jihadists, the newspaper added.
Jihadists have entered the city of Al-Qusayr in the Homs countryside on the border with Lebanon, Al Jazeera wrote quoting Islamist groups.
Eight countries, including Russia and Turkey, have issued a joint statement calling for a political solution and the protection of civilians in Syria. After a meeting in Doha, the foreign ministers warned that the crisis in Syria threatens both regional and international security.
The Syrian army sent additional reinforcements to the Lebanese border, to the north of the city of Al-Qaa, a Lebanese military source told RT
The Syrian army has withdrawn its forces from the city of Homs and is now located near the bridge near the city of Al Qusayr, Syrian sources confirmed to RT
HTS fighters have captured a prison in Homs and freed hundreds of inmates, Reuters has reported, citing sources within the terrorist group. Unconfirmed video footage shared on social media showed dozens of men who appeared to be inmates leaving the facility with their belongings.
“There is no truth” to reports of HTS fighters entering Homs, the Syrian Defense Ministry has said in a statement. According to the ministry, the situation in the city is “secure and stable,” with government forces “deployed around the city and positioned in impregnable defensive lines and reinforced with various types of weapons.” It is unclear whether some of the jihadists bypassed Homs en route to Damascus, or whether the capital is being solely attacked by FSA units.
Syrian Army units have withdrawn from some suburbs of Damascus, Al Jazeera has reported, citing unnamed local sources. Among the settlements abandoned are several towns and villages in the Ghouta area, the Qatari network reported. Ghouta has been under government control since 2018.