Syria war live news: Calls for unity as opposition flag raised in Moscow
The Syrian embassy in Moscow has raised the three-starred flag of the opposition.
- The Syrian embassy in Moscow has raised the three-starred flag of the opposition.
- Rescue teams and relatives of forcibly disappeared people in Syria are searching for their loved ones at the notorious Sednaya Prison in Damascus after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
- The Syrian embassy in Moscow has raised the three-starred flag of the opposition.
- Rescue teams and relatives of forcibly disappeared people in Syria are searching for their loved ones at the notorious Sednaya Prison in Damascus after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
- Russian state media reports that al-Assad is in Moscow and has been granted asylum after stepping down and fleeing the country in the wake of a lightning offensive by armed opposition groups.
- Israel says it has “seized” territory in Syrian-controlled areas of the Golan Heights and hit weapons sites in the country.
- In his first speech since seizing Damascus, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani says al-Assad’s fall is the beginning of a “new history” for the region.
Syrian embassy in Jordan removes flag
The Syrian embassy building in the Jordanian capital Amman has removed the Syrian flag.
Jordanian state media broadcast a video showing the removal of the flag, but it is unconfirmed if the opposition flag has been installed yet.
But the official Facebook page of the Syrian embassy posted the Syrian revolution flag. The embassy stated in a declaration following the announcement of al-Assad’s fall that it would continue to provide services to the community members.
Kremlin says too early to discuss future of bases in Syria
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says the future of the bases is a subject of discussion with those in power after the transition.
He announced Putin’s decision to grant al-Assad asylum in Russia, adding that there were no scheduled meetings between the two.
Peskov said the government was in constant contact with Ankara and other regional players on the situation in Syria.
He added that Russia plans to discuss Syria’s current situation with all the countries in the region.
Russia shows it ‘has not abandoned’ al-Assad
From Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow:
We do not have much information about Bashar al-Assad here in Russia. We know that the ousted president and his family have arrived in Moscow.
That’s official, it’s been published by state news agencies. The Russian authorities have granted political asylum.
We see reports on our end that Russia has not abandoned the resigned Syrian president in such difficult circumstances. Assad was allegedly evacuated by a Russian plane from the Russian air base in Latakia.
The Syrian opposition has reportedly guaranteed the security of Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus, as well as diplomatic missions in the country. That is very important for the Russian government.
‘Delicate balance between opposition factions’
It’s too early to say that opposition fighters have cleared every part of the city [Damascus]. Particularly in the city’s periphery, there are many places where there are no security forces.
There was some looting yesterday and because of that shopkeepers are not opening their shops today.
The main concern right now is security. Opposition fighters have set up checkpoints and tight security measures in many parts of the city, but we’re not just talking about one opposition faction. There’s HTS and [different groups] coming from the north, the east and the south.
HTS is the main force that is now in charge. They have established several command centres through which they are trying to provide security and of course facilitate a transition.
There is a delicate balance between the different factions of the opposition. The hours ahead are going to be full of surprises.
‘A new era has begun’, says Turkey’s Fidan
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has given new remarks addressing the situation in Syria.
Speaking to Turkish ambassadors, Fidan said Ankara wants to see a new Syria that lives in harmony with its neighbours and is ready to support the country’s reconstruction.
Turkey will also work to help safely return displaced refugees to Syria, said Fidan.
“A new era has begun in Syria, now it is time to focus on the way forward,” said Fidan.
If you’re just joining us
Here’s a recap of the recent developments:
- Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israeli warplanes struck suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets in Syria so they wouldn’t fall into the hands of “extremists”.
- The three-starred flag of the Syrian opposition was raised by the country’s embassy in Russia, while it was confirmed that Moscow has granted political asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family.
- The Israeli military chief met with the Druze community’s spiritual leader to discuss Syria as Israeli soldiers advanced in the buffer zone in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights.
- The United Nations Security Council is set to meet later today to discuss Syria at the request of Russia.
Syria’s Sednaya Prison
A ‘long history of mistrust’ before transition
Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, says Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali will play a key role in the transition from the al-Assad government to that of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
“And that’s surprising because just 24 hours before al-Assad’s fall, he was talking about how this was a war for Syria’s national identity, and now suddenly, he’s spearheading part of the transition,” said Ramani.
“If the al-Jalali change is sincere, he could help bring some of the Syrian government assets into the fold of the new government.”
Ramani said HTS would also have to worry about integrating with other opposition groups, in particular the Syrian National Army, because it was just at the end of 2022 that there were fatal clashes between the two.
“Those groups have a long history of undercutting each other and mistrust, and it’s going to be pretty hard to organise them into a cohesive unit.”
He said there will probably be clashes with the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as they clashed even amid the offensive against al-Assad.
“The SDF is weary of any experience of being under the rule of a group that is an ally of Turkiye. The Kurds might push for some kind of autonomy or federalism,” the expert said.
France to support Syria’s political transition: Foreign Minister
Paris will send a special diplomatic envoy to the country in the coming days, according to France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
The events in Syria were a stunning defeat for Russia, Barrot told France Info radio, as Moscow could now lose access to military assets it has in the Arab country.
Asylum for al-Assad is a message to Putin’s ‘friends’
Alexey Muraviev, a Russia specialist and associate professor of national security and strategic studies at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, says Putin reacts favourably to people who are loyal to him.
“Al-Assad has demonstrated loyalty to Putin over many years, including supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” he told Al Jazeera from Busselton, Australia.
Moscow granting asylum to the al-Assad family “is a signal to other clients and friends of Russia… in the Gulf, the Middle East, Africa and Asia”, he said.
According to Muraviev, the message is “as long as you remain loyal, we will not abandon you” and “we will look after you.”
Listen to more of his analysis here:
Presence of Israeli forces in Syrian territory ‘temporary’: Israeli FM
Gideon Saar says the deployment of troops in Syrian territory is a “limited, temporary” step meant to ensure Israel’s security during the confusion after the fall of al-Assad.
“The only interest we have is the security of Israel,” he told a news conference in West Jerusalem.
Iran official says country is in direct contact with groups within Syria’s new leadership: Report
Iran has opened a direct line of communication with opposition forces within Syria’s new leadership after the removal of Tehran’s key ally Bashar al-Assad, a senior Iranian official told the Reuters news agency.
The official added the talks aimed to “prevent a hostile trajectory” between the two countries.
Syrian opposition flag flies over Syria’s embassy in Moscow: Report
The Syrian embassy in Moscow has raised the three-starred flag of the opposition, reports the Reuters news agency, quoting a witness.
As opposition forces seized control of Damascus on Sunday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry released a statement pledging to represent all citizens as the country starts a new chapter.
Israeli military intelligence chief meets with Druze leader to discuss Syria
Shlomi Binder, the head of the Israeli military intelligence directorate, has met with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif to discuss developments in Syria.
The Israeli military said the two discussed how the fall of the al-Assad regime could affect the Druze community.
The Israeli commander “stressed the deep commitment” between the military and the Druze community, which “contributes decisively in sensitive and vital areas”.
‘Celebratory’ and ‘tense’: HTS fighters preparing to advance to government’s last coastal stronghold
We are in Umayyad Square in central Damascus. You can see that the opposition fighters are in charge.
From time to time, we hear celebratory gunfire. On the one hand, the situation is celebratory, but on the other hand, it is tense.
There is smoke still rising from the site of a nearby Israeli air attack yesterday. Israel claims it is aiming to destroy weapons production houses and prevent weapons from getting into the hands of opposition fighters.
HTS fighters are predominantly the ones in charge here now. I’ve been talking to them and they told me that after clearing Damascus, they will head to Tartous and Latakia. They are preparing to initiate their offensive on the government’s last stronghold in the coastal areas of Syria.
Israel says it has struck suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets in Syria
Israel’s foreign minister says it has struck suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets in Syria in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile actors.
Gideon Saar said that “the only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens.”
“That’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they will not fall in the hands of extremists.”
Syrian refugees in Jordan rushing back to Deraa across the border
Today, instead of cars, we’ve seen buses full of Syrians returning to Syria despite all the questions that remain.
I saw a few who couldn’t find any transport to the border crossing, so they asked to be let in on foot.
People are eager to return, especially those who are originally from Deraa, which is right across the border.
They have family there. They just want to go back to Syria now that the fear of the al-Assad regime is gone.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed:
- Fighters with HTS, the main opposition group now controlling Damascus, say they are preparing to push into the regime’s final strongholds in Latakia and Tartous, reports Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar from the Syrian capital.
- Buses of Syrian refugees are heading into the country from Jordan “now that the fear of al-Assad’s regime is gone”, reports Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh from the border.
- Israeli forces have continued to seize more parts of a buffer zone in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights on the orders of Defense Minister Israel Katz, reports Israel’s Ynet News site.
- The United Nations Security Council is set to meet later today, at Russia’s request, to discuss the developments in Syria.
China calls for ‘political solution’
China’s Foreign Ministry has called for the restoration of stability and order in Syria and the search for a “political solution” as soon as possible.
As Syria seeks a political solution, China hopes all the parties concerned would be guided by the long-term interests of the Syrian people, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular news conference.
Japan ‘strongly concerned’ by the situation in Syria
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the spokesman for the Japanese government, says Tokyo is closely following the developments in Syria.
He said the government hopes the humanitarian situation in Syria would improve following al-Assad’s removal, according to local media reports.
Hayashi said Tokyo was “strongly concerned” about the events in the country, and expressed “hope that the violence will end as soon as possible, and all Syrian people can enjoy freedom and prosperity”.