PRESIDENT Bashar al-Assad left office in Syria yesterday after giving orders for a peaceful transfer of power, as ISIS terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), led by Abu Mohammed al Jolani, reached the capital Damascus.
Footage circulating on social media showed the ransacking of the presidential Palace in Damascus.
Syrian prime minister, Mohammed Ghazi al Jalali, said: ‘I am here in my home. I have not left it and do not intend to leave, except in a peaceful manner that ensures the continued functioning of public institutions and state facilities, promoting security and reassurance for our fellow citizens.’
The ISIS terrorists announced a curfew starting from 4pm (1pm UK time) on Sunday until 5am on Monday.
HTS was once affiliated with Al Qaeda and remains a proscribed terror organisation by the US and others.
US President-elect Donald Trump said: ‘Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.
‘Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success.’
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure. Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails and peace and stability is restored.’
Iran said only the Syrian people can make decisions about the country’s fate without any ‘destructive’ foreign meddling.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying: ‘It is necessary to end military conflicts as soon as possible, prevent terrorist acts, and initiate national dialogue with the participation of all segments of Syrian society to form an inclusive government that represents all Syrian people.’
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that it is unacceptable to use terrorists to achieve geopolitical goals, as is happening in Syria, saying: ‘Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in Syria is a terrorist group, and its leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani is listed on the terrorist lists in Russia and the United States, and despite that, Washington gives him the opportunity to appear and speak on CNN.’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed credit for starting the chain of events that led to the fall of the Syrian government, saying: ‘This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East. This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, the main supporters of the Al-Assad regime.’
The Israeli media revealed that the regime is in ‘direct contact’ with HTS.
Israel’s leading news website Walla said that Tel Aviv has ‘direct and indirect contact’ with numerous groups in Syria.
The Lebanese Army announced that it is implementing a plan to safeguard the northern and eastern borders of the country.
‘In light of the rapid developments and delicate circumstances that the region is going through, the army command is monitoring the situation on the borders and inside to prevent any threat to civil peace,’ the army command announced on Sunday.
‘The deployed military units are implementing exceptional measures to maintain security and protect civil peace throughout Lebanese territory.’
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