Government stable, says Syria PM; Israel conducts air strikes

Syria's Prime Minister addresses Cabinet Ministers working from Damascus, as militants overthrow President Assad and promise representative government.

Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said on Monday (December 9, 2024) that most Cabinet Ministers are still working from offices in Damascus after militants entered the capital over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar al-Assad. Streams of refugees crossed in from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future.

However, there were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the militant alliance now in control of much of the country, which is led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former senior al-Qaeda militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and formed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham which leads the militant coalition that stormed Damascus. He has promised representative government and religious tolerance.

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The militant commander said on Monday (December 9, 2024) they would not tell women how to dress.

Israel said it is carrying out air strikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel has also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew.

In northern Syria, Turkiye said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the U.S., a reminder that even after Mr. Assad’s departure to Russia, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past.

The Kremlin said Russia had granted political asylum to Mr. Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr. Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr. Putin was not planning to meet with him.