Syrian PM says ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people
The Hindu
Syrian Prime Minister ready to cooperate with new leadership as rebels claim President Assad has fled the country.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said Sunday (December 8, 2024) he was ready to "cooperate" with any leadership chosen by the people, after rebels said "tyrant" President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country.
The leader of the Islamist Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, ordered forces not to approach official institutions in Damascus, saying they would remain under the Prime Minister until they were "officially" handed over.
Syria war: LIVE updates on December 8, 2024
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions have pressed a lightning offensive since November 27, sweeping swathes of the country from government control, including major cities Aleppo, Hama and Homs.
Provinces in the country's south and east have also fallen from government hands after local fighters seized control and Mr. Assad's forces withdrew.
The rebels said early Sunday (December 8, 2024) that "the tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled" and declared "the city of Damascus free".
"After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement... we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria," the rebels said on Telegram.
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