Syria Civil War Live Updates: Syrian Prime Minister Jalali agrees to handover power to rebel forces

Since Syrian rebels launched their offensive against the now ousted President Bashar al-Assad, more than 900 people have been killed in the violence, which includes 138 civilian deaths.

The offensive, which culminated into seizing control of Damascus by the Syrian rebels, is “documented, since the launch of the…(rebel) operation on November 27" said Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The toll of 910 people includes 138 civilians, 380 Syrian troops and allied fighters and 392 rebel forces, as reported by news agency AFP.

China’s Foreign Ministry's spokesperson has said that Beijing is closely monitoring the situation in Syria and it hopes that stability will return soon in the country where rebels have seized the power from ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

"We urge relevant parties in Syria to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria," the Chinese spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further added that the China’s Embassy in Syria remains operational and that the Chinese government has “been actively helping Chinese nationals who wish to leave the country”.

The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 and had been in a stalemate in 2020, has seen major developments in recent days. The government of President Bashar al-Assad, who ruled the Middle Eastern country since 2000, has reeled under sudden intense attacks from the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). On Sunday (December 8), its members reached the capital Damascus and celebrated the fall of the regime led by Assad, who was reported to have fled the country.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani recently told The New York Times in an interview, “Our goal is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime.” What is known about Jolani and his group? We explain.

First, what is happening in Syria?

Syrian rebel forces, who oppose the Assad regime, concluded a three-day attack towards the city of Aleppo on November 29. The move came as a surprise since the conflict had laid dormant after a ceasefire was negotiated in 2020.

Who is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani?

Jolani, 42, is seen as being instrumental in HTS meeting its objectives in recent days. According to a recent profile in Financial Times, “Jolani capitalised on the recent outreach he’d conducted with tribes, former opponents and minority groups, brokering surrenders and ordering the protection of minorities.”

(Read more from the report)

Following the collapse of ousted President Bashar al-Assad's regime, dozens of people were seen gathered in Syria's second city Aleppo on Sunday, according to satellite images.

The images which were captured by Maxar Technologies showed large anti-Assad demonstrations across Aleppo which rebel forces took control of last week itself in lightning advance, reported CNN.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s car collection appeared in a video footage purportedly from a garage near his main palace in Damascus.

A video which was reportedly verified by the CNN showed over 40 luxury vehicles in a large warehouse in western Damascus. Some of the cars in collection were Ferrari F50, which sells for over $3 million, Lamborghini, a Rolls Royce and a Bentley.

According to reports, Assad and his family left for Moscow where the Kremlin has given them an asylum as the rebels seized control of Syria from his regime.

The Syrian civil defence group known as the White Helmets has claimed that it received reports from survivors who were freed from prions that people are being detained underground at Saydnaya prison, reported BBC.

As rebels took control of the country, Saydnaya was one of the prisons which was freed from ousted President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

In a post on X, White Helmets have said that they have deployed specialised emergency teams to the prison, who are being helped by a guide familiar with the prison's layout.

Egypt has affirmed its support for Syria and urged the nation to prioritise its unifying objectives and carve out a way for a comprehensive and inclusive political process that would lead to harmony and restore peace in Damascus.

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement carried by Ahram Online, Cairo called on the Syrian parties to safeguard the country's resources and national institutions.

Egypt has also assured its support for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, the ministry added.

President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power in Damascus. “We think we can get him back," Biden told reporters at the White House, while acknowledging that “we have no direct evidence” of his status.

"Assad should be held accountable.” Biden said officials must still identify exactly where Tice is after his disappearance in August 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus. “We've remained committed to returning him to his family,” he said. Tice, who is from Houston, has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and other outlets.

A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men and saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since. Syria has publicly denied that it was holding him. The United States has no new evidence that Tice is alive, but continues to operate under that assumption, according to a U.S. official.

(AP)

The aftermath of the fall of ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s regime will go beyond the control of the United States, and it might also lead to a situation of conflict between regional countries and Turkey, the Iranian ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari said on Sunday.

“I believe the developments in the region will be beyond American control and could seriously disrupt their strategic objectives,” Akbari said according to CNN.

The rebel forces took control of Damascus and Assad fled the country reportedly to Russia, where the Kremlin has provided him and his family, an asylum on “humanitarian grounds”.

The Israeli authorities have said that they have notified US President Joe Biden led administration about their operation to take control of the buffer zone on the border with Syria in the Golan Heights, Axios reported.

The Israeli administration said that it is a temporary move and it will last for a few days or weeks until the security situation in Syria improves. "We are not looking to permanently occupy more parts of Syria," an Israeli official said.

“We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria. If we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that's our desire,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said.

The United Nations is bound to convene for an emergency closed door meeting regarding the situation in Syria in the aftermath of ousted President Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country, news agency AFP reported.

The United Nations is scheduled to meet on Monday, according to The Guardian report.

The United States strongly supports a peaceful power transition in Syria after the rebel forces toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“During this transitional period, the Syrian people have every right to demand the preservation of state institutions, the resumption of key services, and the protection of vulnerable communities,” Blinken said according to a CNN report.

Blinken further added that the United States has taken note of the statements made by the rebel leaders of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group, and Washington has called on all actors involved to respect human rights.

The United States Central Command (Centcom) which is responsible for US interests in the Middle East, Central and South Asia has confirmed that it carried out over 75 precision strikes at the camps of ISIS in Syria on Sunday and added that there were “no indications of civilian casualties”.

General Michael Erik Kurilla, Centcom commander said, “There should be no doubt - we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria. All organisations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way,” reported BBC.

US President Joe Biden, in an address earlier, warned the Islamic State (ISIS group) to take any undue advantage of the situation in Syria which has been created due to a power transition in the country.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has said that it is a very good thing for the Syrian people that President Bashar al-Assad has left.

When asked by reporters whether the UK government will engage with the rebel forces which ousted President Assad, PM Starmer said it is “very early days”.

On a foreign trip to Abu Dhabi, Starmer said “We do need a political solution” in Syria, reported BBC.

The United States is not contemplating entering Syria at the moment in order to neutralise chemical weapons in the country but it remains as a top priority for the administration, the BBC reported.

According to a senior US official, the expertise in the US government is currently focused upon neutralising chemical weapons in Syria but exploring options to carry out the task.

After the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad from Syria, the United States wants that the material is either not available to anyone or ‘taken care of’ and they are working on the plan, even looking to partner with its allies in the region.

Rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani of the HTS group, which led the uprising against ousted President Bashar al-Assad said it was "a victory for the entire Muslim nation" and represented a "new page for the region" to a crowd gathered at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.

Jawlani thanked the people who died in the civil war which broke out in Syria in 2011 and said Assad spread "sectarianism" and "corruption", reported BBC.

Jawlani further added that Syria was "abandoned as a playground for Iranian ambitions" under Assad but now everyone can breathe freely.

The United States will work with partners and stakeholders in Syria to help seize an opportunity and manage the risk, US President Joe Biden said on Sunday after rebel fighters overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In remarks at the White House, Biden said the United States will support Syria's neighbors through the period of transition and will assess the words and actions of rebel groups.

Biden said the United States does not officially know of Assad's whereabouts but noted reports that he fled to Moscow. He said Assad "should be held accountable." Biden said Syria is in a period of risk and uncertainty and that it is the first time in years that neither Russia nor Iran nor the Hezbollah militant organization held an influential role in Syria.

"For years, the main backers of Assad have been Iran, Hezbollah and Russia. But over the last week, their support collapsed - all three of them - because all three of them are far weaker today than they were when I took office," said Biden, who became president in 2021.

Biden said US forces on Sunday conducted a dozen precision strikes within Syria targeting camps and operatives of the militant group Islamic State. "It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It's also a moment of risk and uncertainty," Biden said. "As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risk," Biden added.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The Syrian flag was removed on Sunday from a pole outside the country's embassy in Moscow, Russian news agencies reported.

The flag had been hoisted outside the embassy earlier in the day, the agency said. TASS also quoted embassy staff as saying the embassy would operate as normal on Monday. It said the embassy provided no explanation for the absence of the flag.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday after rebels seized Damascus, ending 50 years of Assad family rule. Russian media reported that Assad and his family were granted asylum in Moscow, although the Kremlin has not confirmed this.

(With inputs from AP)

The fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad underscores Russia's weakness and inability to fight on two fronts, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Russia had bolstered Assad's government by staging air strikes against opposition targets beginning in 2015 and had operated out of two bases on Syrian territory. But Moscow's 33-month-old invasion of Ukraine has sapped considerable military resources.

"Events in Syria demonstrate the weakness of Putin's regime, which is incapable of fighting on two fronts and abandons its closest allies for the sake of continued aggression against Ukraine," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia and have been granted asylum by the Russian authorities, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday, citing a Kremlin source.

The Interfax news agency quoted the unnamed source as saying: "President Assad of Syria has arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted them (him and his family) asylum on humanitarian grounds."

(With inputs from Reuters)

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it stands by Syrian people and their choices at this "critical stage" after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted early in the day.

It also called on the international community to support Syria while respecting its sovereignty and avoiding interference in its internal matters.

US President Joe Biden will meet with his national security team on Sunday morning to receive an update on the situation in Syria, a White House spokesperson said in a post on X.

The meeting comes after rebels declared they had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria's biggest rebel faction, addressed crowds at Umayyad Mosque in the centre of the city, AFP news agency reported. In his first public appearance since the ousting of Bashar Assad, he called it "a victory to the Islamic nation."

He reportedly gave a speech as the crowd chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great). Videos circulating online show al-Jolani entering the mosque, with the crowd cheering on him.

Israel conducted three airstrikes against a major security complex in the Kafr Sousa district of the Syrian capital along with a research centre where it had previously said Iranian scientists developed missiles, news agency Reuters reported, quoting regional sources.

The exit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been met with joy in the streets of Damascus but in capitals near and far, including New Delhi, the multiple moving parts in the sprawling insurrection are keeping many fingers crossed.

Assad, ruling the country since 2000, having inherited the legacy from his father Hafez al-Assad since 1971, was forced to flee the country Sunday (December 8) as Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marched into the Syrian capital.

The anger against Assad’s regime is a curious case in the Arab world. Thrust into power at the age of 35, Assad made the transition from a reluctant leader to one CNN called the “most popular” in December 2009, with about 68% Arabs voting for him. Trained to be an ophthalmologist, Assad’s style was informal as he interacted with people in restaurants and public places. Read More

The Israeli military issued a warning on Sunday to five towns in southern Syria, calling on residents to stay at home "until further notice" due to ongoing conflict in the area.

The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 and had been in a stalemate in 2020, has seen major developments in recent days. The government of President Bashar al-Assad, who ruled the Middle Eastern country since 2000, has reeled under sudden intense attacks from the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). On Sunday (December 8), its members reached the capital Damascus and celebrated the fall of the regime led by Assad, who was reported to have fled the country.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani recently told The New York Times in an interview, “Our goal is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime.” What is known about Jolani and his group? Read More

After almost 15 years of civil war, the final push to overthrow Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad took less than 15 days. On Sunday (December 8), rebel forces overran the capital Damascus, while Assad appears to have left for an undisclosed location.

Who is fighting whom in Syria, and why? Why are so many foreign governments, from the US to Russia to Iran to Turkey involved? How did Assad’s regime survive for so long, and what happens now that he is gone?

And what is India’s attitude towards Assad? Read more to find out

The Syrian opposition coalition on Sunday said it is working towards forming a transitional governing body with full executive powers, adding in a post on X that it aspires to build strategic partnerships within the region and the world.

(Reuters)