What happened after Syrian capital fell to rebels and al-Assad left the country?

Armed opposition forces took full control of Damascus on Sunday, bringing an end to more than five decades of Assad family rule. The swift collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's government followed a fierce rebel offensive that lasted less than two weeks. The opposition declared that Assad had fled the capital and abdicated power.

Later in the day, Russian state media, citing a Kremlin source, reported that Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow, where they have been granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that Assad had "decided to leave the presidential post and left the country, giving instructions to transfer power peacefully."

A reporter from China Media Group (CMG) has learned from a UN official stationed in Syria that Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Al-Jallali conducted a power transfer with opposition forces at a hotel in Damascus on Sunday. Jallali is temporarily overseeing public institutions. He was appointed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) head Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani, who spearheaded the lightning assault and has arrived Damascus.

Situation in Damascus

Al-Jolani instructed opposition forces in Damascus to refrain from approaching public institutions and banned celebratory gunfire. The military command of the opposition imposed a curfew starting from afternoon till the next day while issuing warnings and threatening jail penalties against looters and those firing guns in the air.

Al-Jallali, the prime minister, also called on Syrians to protect public facilities, saying they belonged to all citizens. "We extend our hands to every Syrian citizen committed to safeguarding the country's resources," Al-Jallali said in a televised address. "Syria belongs to all Syrians, and I urge everyone to think rationally about the nation's best interests."

CMG reporters in Damascus observed that most opposition forces have refrained from harming civilians. However, they reported that some factions not under the leadership of HTS were "unruly," frequently engaging in vandalism, looting and arson targeting public institutions and shops. But by the evening of Sunday, during the curfew in Damascus, the situation had significantly stabilized compared to earlier in the day, according to the correspondents. Incidents, including the looting of the Central Bank and the Presidential Palace that occurred in the afternoon, were brought under a certain degree of control.

A CMG correspondent reported on Sunday that residents in a pro-government Alawite neighborhood in western Damascus were gripped by fear, worried about potential violent attacks by opposition forces as some homes had already been forcibly entered. Footage captured by the correspondent showed several opposition fighters gathering beneath a residential building, distributing and assembling weapons. 

U.S. and Israel carry out military operations in Syria

As opposition forces entered Damascus, the United States Central Command announced on Sunday that its forces had conducted dozens of precision air strikes targeting known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria. The strikes utilized a range of U.S. Air Force assets, including B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets and A-10 attack aircraft, hitting a total of 75 targets.

Daniel Shapiro, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, affirmed that the U.S. will maintain its military presence in eastern Syria and take all necessary measures to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.

On the same day, the Israeli Air Force carried out extensive strikes on multiple targets within Syria. According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, the operation primarily aimed to destroy "strategic weapons" that could potentially fall into the hands of "hostile forces" following the collapse of the Assad government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the country's military has temporarily seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, saying the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria had "collapsed" with the rebel takeover of the country.

International reaction

The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel's actions, including its attempts to exploit the current situation in Syria to expand its occupation of the Golan Heights and declare the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria null and void.

The Arab League also called for a peaceful, inclusive and secure political transition process in Syria. In a statement, it stressed the importance of placing national interests above all else, exercising restraint, and safeguarding lives and property. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday said that after 14 years of brutal conflict and the fall of the Syrian government, the Syrian people now have a historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future. He emphasized that Syria's destiny must be determined by its own people and pledged that UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, will work closely with them to achieve this goal.

On the same day, U.S. President Joe Biden addressed the unfolding situation in Syria, describing the end of the Assad government as a historic moment for the Syrian people, albeit one fraught with risks and uncertainties. He reaffirmed that the U.S. would work with its partners and stakeholders in Syria to help them manage these challenges.

However, President-elect Donald Trump expressed a contrasting view, stating that the U.S. should not get involved in the country.

"Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!" Trump posted on social media.

(Cover: An Israeli armored vehicle maneuvers near the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, December 8, 2024. /CFP)