Israel says it has launched more than 350 airstrikes against Syrian military facilities across the country targeting weapons stockpiles and strategic infrastructure.
The Israeli military said they carried out the strikes over the last 48 hours, hitting weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Palmyra. The targets also included airfields, anti-aircraft batteries, drones, aircraft and tanks.
Meanwhile, Mohammed al-Bashir – a figure little known across most of Syria who previously ran an administration in a small pocket of the northwest controlled by rebels – said in a brief address on state television that he will lead Syria’s interim authority until 1 March, with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad three days ago.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the rebel group which deposed Bashar al-Assad’s regime, told Sky News that the fears of foreign countries regarding Syria’s future are “unnecessary”.
He said: "The country will be rebuilt. The fear was from the presence of the regime. The country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It’s going towards stability.
KEY POINTS
- Foreign countries have nothing to fear, Syrian rebel leader says
- Israel says it has destroyed Syrian naval fleet
- Rebel-backed Mohammed al-Bashir takes charge as Syria's interim prime minister
- Israel seizes ‘additional points’ beyond buffer zone but denies Damascus push
- Dozens of tortured bodies found in hospital near Damascus
Assad’s instruments of torture: Inside Saydnaya prison’s horrors
03:00
Tom Watling
Minister says Assad transported to Russia in 'most secure way'
02:54
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was transported to Russia in the “most secure way possible”, the country's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, told NBC News.
The Kremlin said on Monday that president Vladimir Putin had made the decision to grant asylum in Russia to Assad.
"He is secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation," Mr Ryabkov told NBC. He said that he would not elaborate "on what happened and how it was resolved".
Asked whether Russia would hand over Assad for trial, Mr Ryabkov said: "Russia is not a party to the convention that established the International Criminal Court."
What is the Golan Heights and why is it important to Israel and Syria?
02:00
Tom Watling
Shamima Begum hopes of UK return ‘bolstered’ by fall of Assad - claim
01:00
Tom Watling
After the fall of Assad, what is the threat to Europe from Isis?
00:00
Tom Watling
Despairing Syrians search Saydnaya prison for signs of loved ones
Tuesday 10 December 2024 23:00
Tom Watling
Netanyahu makes it clear: Biden is no longer in charge
Tuesday 10 December 2024 22:30
Tom Watling
In pictures: Syrians cross the border from Turkey back into their homeland
Tuesday 10 December 2024 22:03
Tom Watling
Senior US general met troops, SDF forces in Syria
Tuesday 10 December 2024 21:30
Tom Watling
The top US general responsible for the Middle East visited Syria on Tuesday to meet US troops and U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian forces (SDF), the US military said.
“(General Erik Kurilla) received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent Isis from exploiting the current situation,” the statement said.
US asks Syrian rebels HTS to help in search for journalist Austin Tice
Tuesday 10 December 2024 21:14
Tom Watling
The United States has asked Syria‘s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group to help locate and free missing American journalist Austin Tice as it liberates the country’s prisons in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday.
Washington is telling all parties in Syria that Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, is a top U.S. priority, Miller told a press briefing.
Miller said that message had been sent via intermediaries to HTS, the faction that led the rebel operation that unseated Assad and which the U.S. considers to be a terror group, as well as other entities operating in Syria.
“In all of our communications with parties that we know talk to HTS, we have sent very clearly the message that as they move through Syria liberating prisons, that our top priority is the return of Austin Tice,” he said.
“We want anyone who’s operating on the ground in Syria to be on the lookout for him, and if they do find him, to return to him to us safely as soon as possible.”
President Joe Biden has said he believes Tice is alive and has dispatched hostage-affairs envoy Roger Carstens to the region as part of intensive efforts to free him.
‘Every household has three or four missing. It’s our nightmare’
Tuesday 10 December 2024 21:00
Tom Watling
Israel’s warplanes pound Syria as it destroys Assad’s naval fleet
Tuesday 10 December 2024 20:29
Tom Watling
US troops are staying in Syria, White House says
Tuesday 10 December 2024 20:01
Tom Watling
US troops are staying in Syria because they have an important mission to complete there, US deputy national security advisor Jon Finer said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Tuesday.
He said the Biden administration is in contact with members of the incoming team of President-elect Donald Trump and keeping them apprised.
New Syrian PM pictured after talks with rebels and ousted government
Tuesday 10 December 2024 19:31
Tom Watling
The Assads’ next chapter: A ‘desert rose’ wife and a life of luxury
Tuesday 10 December 2024 19:02
Tom Watling
Israel says it has struck Syrian navy facilities and weapons stockpiles
Tuesday 10 December 2024 18:43
Tom Watling
Israel says it has struck two Syrian navy facilities and strategic weapons stockpiles.
The military announced the strikes, which took place on Monday, earlier this evening.
EU foreign policy chief Kallas: legitimate concerns about Syrian sectarian violence
Tuesday 10 December 2024 18:21
Tom Watling
There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence in Syria and a resurgence of extremism in the country, the European Union’s new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday, while pointing to positive early signals.
Syria‘s new interim leader announced on Tuesday he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad three days ago.
Kallas also told a European Parliament committee session that “the new people are judged by their deeds”.
“It is very, very early to tell whether this goes to the right direction,” she said, adding that “the first signals are good, but we are not rushing into any kind of arrangements yet, if we don’t have certainty”.
European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss the situation when they meet in Brussels on Dec. 16.
Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, said the fall of Assad represented a blow for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran.
“For Putin and the Iranian regime, the fall of Assad is a huge blow for both,” said Kallas.
Syrian families desperately search for loved ones at Damascus hospital
Tuesday 10 December 2024 18:00
Tom Watling
One million displaced since rebel offensive began, says WHO
Tuesday 10 December 2024 17:37
Alex Croft
The chief of the World Health Organisation Tedros Ghebreyesus says an estimated one million people have been displaced in Syria since the rebel offensive began.
The offensive, which began on Wednesday 27 November, culminated in the collapse of Bashar-al Assad’s regime on Sunday.
Full report: Israel’s warplanes pound Syria as it destroys Assad’s naval fleet
Tuesday 10 December 2024 17:24
Alex Croft
Israel has carried out a wave of airstrikes around Syria, claiming to have destroyed the country’s naval fleet and deployed troops beyond a demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The defence minister, Israel Katz, said Israeli forces had been ordered to create a "sterile defence zone" in southern Syria. He gave no details, other than to say it would not have a permanent Israeli presence. He added the zone, would "prevent the establishment and organization of terror in Syria".
"We will not allow this, we will not allow threats to the state of Israel," he said in a statement following a visit to a naval base in the northern Israeli port of Haifa.
Read the full report:
US will ‘fully support’ Syria’s political transition
Tuesday 10 December 2024 17:10
Alex Croft
The US has said it fully supports Syria’s political transition process and hopes for inclusive, non-sectarian governance, secretayr of state Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.
Mr Blinken said in a statement: "The transition process and new government must also uphold clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensure that any chemical or biological weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed.
"The United States will recognize and fully support a future Syria government that results from this process," he added.
Lebanon must not become haven for Assad officials, says Lebanese political party
Tuesday 10 December 2024 16:57
Alex Croft
Lebanon must not become a safe haven for Bashar al-Assad’s former officials who are responsible for war crimes, a leading political party warned on Tuesday.
The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) cited reports that leading figures in Assad’s deposed regime had fled to Lebanon, and called on state institutions to prevent them from seeking refuge to ensure Lebanon “does not bear legal and political repercussions”.
In a statement, the PSP said: “After news of some leaders of the ousted regime in Syria fleeing to Lebanon through legal crossings, or crossing from Lebanon to other countries, the Progressive Socialist Party warns of the danger of turning Lebanon into a safe haven for those responsible for many crimes against Lebanese and Syrians.”
ICYMI: Rebels to release list of officials involved in torturing Syrians
Tuesday 10 December 2024 16:44
Alex Croft
The Syrian rebel coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) said it will release a list of senior officials involved in torture.
The HTS said it will not hesitate to hold security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people accountable, describing them as criminals and murderers.
“We will release a list that includes the names of the most senior officials involved in the torturing of the Syrian people,” said top rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani.
“Rewards will be offered to those who will provide information about senior army and security officers involved in war crime.”
Who is Mohammed al-Bashir, the new Syrian prime minister?
Tuesday 10 December 2024 16:30
Alex Croft
Mohammed al-Bashir has announced that he will be the new interim prime minister of Syria until March 1.
But what do we know about Syria’s new leader?
- Mr al-Bashir was born in 1983 and graduated from the University of Aleppo with a degree in electrical engineering in 2007.
- After the Syrian civil war broke out, he became director of the Al-Amal educational institute, which provided education to children affected by the war.
- Mr al-Bashir held a number of ministerial positions in the Syrian Salvation Government, which was the civil administration of small pocket in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province controlled by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group.
- He has served as the prime minister of the Syrian Salvation Government since January 2024.
- After meeting with HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Golani and outgoing Syrian prime minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali on Monday, he was tasked to lead a transitional government until March 1 2025.
Biden staying ‘completely up to speed’ on Syria situation
Tuesday 10 December 2024 16:17
Alex Croft
US president Joe Biden is staying “completely up to speed” with developments in Syria, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
"We continue to carefully monitor developments there, as you would expect, that we are. The President is staying fully briefed by his national security team, and that will remain the case going forward,” Mr Kirby said on Tuesday.
“This is something that he had been and the team had been watching develop over the last week or so. And certainly, he’s going to stay completely up to speed and informed on it.
"I think you can expect to see in coming days, other cabinet level and other national security level individuals traveling to the region and or having conversations with their counterparts."
US not actively reviewing Syrian Islamist group’s terrorist designation
Tuesday 10 December 2024 16:04
Alex Croft
The US state department said it was not actively reviewing the “foreign terrorist organisation” designation of the main Syrian rebel group that overthrew president Bashar al-Assad’s government over the weekend, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
However, it said such designations are constantly under review and that even while it is in place, the designation does not bar US officials speaking with members or leaders of the group.
“There is no specific review related to what happened” over the weekend, state department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
“That said, we are always reviewing. Based on their actions there could be a change in our sanctions posture, but we have nothing today.”
He said a review could be initiated if HTS takes steps to reverse the reasons for its designation. That would be based entirely on their actions, he said.
Israel orders military to create “defence zone” in southern Syria
Tuesday 10 December 2024 15:50
Alex Croft
Israel has ordered its military to form a “sterile defence zone” in southern Syria which would not include a permanent Israel presence, defence minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.
Katz said the zone would “prevent the establishment and organisation of terror in Syria”, adding in a statement that he will “not allow threats to the state of Israel”.
He gave no further details about how the zone would work.
Earlier, a military spokesperson said Israel was still in the demilitarised buffer zone but had seized “a few additional points” beyond the border into Syria. He denied that forces had penetrated Syrian territory significantly, or that they were advancing towards Damascus.
Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria’s Assad?
Tuesday 10 December 2024 15:37
Alex Croft
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance.
In recent days, the insurgency even dropped his nom de guerre and began referring to him by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test.
Read the full report:
Foreign countries have nothing to fear, rebel leader says
Tuesday 10 December 2024 15:22
Alex Croft
The leader of the rebel group which ousted Bashar al-Assad from Syria, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has said foreign countries do not need to fear for Syria’s future.
"The country will be rebuilt," he told Sky News. "The fear was from the presence of the regime. The country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It’s going towards stability.
He added that their “fears are unnecessary, God willing".
Golani, who has reshaped his image from his jihadist past in order to bolster his legitimacy as a leader in the new Syria, said the country is “exhausted from war”.
He added: “So the country isn’t ready for another one and it’s not going to get into another one. The source of our fears was from the Iranian militias, Hezbollah and the regime which committed the massacres we are seeing today.
"So their removal is the solution for Syria. The current situation won’t allow for a return to panic."
Egypt calls for ‘comprehensive political process’
Tuesday 10 December 2024 15:12
Alex Croft
Egypt has called for a “comprehensive political process” in Syria to achieve the “ambition of the Syrian people”, the foreign ministry said.
It came shortly before Mohammed al-Bashir announced on Tuesday that he would take charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the rebels.
"Egypt reaffirms its keenness to communicate with brothers in Syria and exert all efforts to ensure the success of a comprehensive political process that achieves the ambition of the Syrian people," a foreign ministry statement read.
‘I will hunt them down’: Grief turns to fury as Syrians search for loved ones tortured by Assad’s regime
Tuesday 10 December 2024 14:59
Bel Trew
Camping in the grounds of Syria’s most notorious “slaughterhouse” prison north of Damascus and scouring the halls of overflowing hospitals and morgues, desperate relatives search for Syria’s missing.
Clutching photos, identification cards, and screenshots of old images, families of those swallowed into the regime’s notorious jails and judicial system flock to anyone they think might shed light on the whereabouts of their loved ones.
More than half a century of brutal rule by the Assad regime, culminating in thirteen years of civil war, has been marked by mass arrests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and executions resulting in tens of thousands missing.
The Independent’s chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports:
Israel says it has destroyed Syrian naval fleet
Tuesday 10 December 2024 14:44
Tara Cobham
Israeli naval missile ships destroyed the Syrian military fleet in an operation on Monday night as part of a broad campaign to eliminate strategic threats to Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, during a visit to a naval base in Haifa.
In a statement he said Israeli forces were establishing themselves in the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and said he had ordered a "sterile defensive zone" to be created in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, to prevent any terrorist threat to Israel
Watch: Inside Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s trashed private residence
Tuesday 10 December 2024 14:31
Alex Croft
Rebel-backed Mohammed al-Bashir takes charge as Syria's interim prime minister
Tuesday 10 December 2024 14:23
Tara Cobham
Syria's new interim leader announced on Tuesday he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad three days ago.
In a brief address on state television, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria who previously ran an administration in a small pocket of the northwest controlled by rebels, said he would lead the interim authority until March 1.
"Today we held a cabinet meeting that included a team from the Salvation government that was working in Idlib and its vicinity, and the government of the ousted regime," he said.
"The meeting was under the headline of transferring the files and institutions to caretake the government."
Behind him were two flags: the green, black and white flag flown by opponents of Assad throughout the civil war, and a white flag with the Islamic oath of faith in black writing, typically flown in Syria by Sunni Islamist fighters.
Comment | After the fall of Assad in Syria, what is the threat to Europe from Isis?
Tuesday 10 December 2024 14:17
Alex Croft
Four hundred years ago, Sir John Harington explained, “Treason doth never prosper. What’s the reason? If treason prosper, none dare call it treason.” Maybe, terrorism is never successful – as Western governments insist – for much the same reason.
The rebranding of Syria’s new strongman, Abu Mohammad al Jolani, from internationally outlawed terrorist to international partner, is well underway.
On Sunday, Sir John Sawers – Tony Blair’s guru in the run-up to the Iraq War, as well as MI6’s boss – led the choir of Whitehall’s most far-sighted mandarins singing the praises of Al Jolani as “the leader of a liberation movement, not a terrorist organisation”; and calling for his HTS group’s designation as a terrorist group to be reviewed.
Mark Almond writes:
Iran has not been weakened, Tehran says
Tuesday 10 December 2024 14:02
Alex Croft
The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Islamic Republic has not been weakened after the fall of ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, according to Iranian media.
“We have not been weakened and Iran’s power has not diminished,” Hossein Salami told members of parliament in a closed session.
Iran was one of the powers propping up Assad’s rule after a civil war sparked in 2011. Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards were sent to Syria to help Assad secure his dictatorship and allow Iran to maintain its ‘Axis of Resistance’.
Assad’s exit has come as a blow to Tehran as it seeks to sustain a network of militias across the region.
In Depth | The Assads’ next chapter: A ‘desert rose’ wife and a life of luxury
Tuesday 10 December 2024 13:47
Alex Croft
They sought to project an image of benevolent leadership and modernity: the “ordinary” family that, under the rule of Bashar al-Assad, would reform Syria. They were polished, relatable, apparently – first lady Asma, the philanthropic, elegant “rose of the desert” (as Vogue described her), alongside her president husband, a London-based doctor and once self-proclaimed “geek”.
The next generation of Assads were not the face of his father’s brutal regime, they insisted, and some in the West were convinced. That glossy image would befall one of the most brutal and bloody dictatorships in modern history.
Zoë Beaty writes
Moment Syrian rebels shoot down statue of former president
Tuesday 10 December 2024 13:32
Alex Croft
Explainer | What is the Golan Heights and why is the territory so important to Israel and Syria?
Tuesday 10 December 2024 13:17
Alex Croft
The Golan Heights, situated in the southwest corner of Syria and bordering Israel, Lebanon and Jordan, is a 1,000 square mile rocky plateau around 40 miles (60 kilometres) from Damascus, although it possesses a significance far beyond that and has been a political flashpoint for decades.
Israeli has occupied the Golan Heights since the 1980s and now its troops have seized the demilitarised buffer zone, in response to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal dictatorship in Syria.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli control of the high ground “ensures our security and sovereignty” adding “the Golan will be part of the State of Israel for eternity”.
It is a move that has sparked condemnation across the region and from the UN. Here, The Independent lays out why Israel considers the Golan Heights so important.
Read the full report:
Israel seizes ‘additional points’ in vicinity of buffer zone but denies Damascus push
Tuesday 10 December 2024 13:03
Alex Croft
Israel says it has seized a “few additional points” in the victinity of the demilitarised buffer zone which separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria - but denies it is making a push to Damascus.
Israeli troops seized the demilitarised buffer zone on Sunday in what it described as a "limited and temporary” measure to ensure its security.
Syrian sources said Israel had breached the buffer zone and entered Syrian territory, a claim denounced by Israel as “false”, adding that Israeli forces remained “within the buffer zone, as stated in the past”.
But a spokesperson said on Tuesday that troops remained in the buffer zone and “a few additional points” in the vicinity, but denied there had been a significant push into Syria beyond the separation area.
"IDF forces are not advancing towards Damascus. This is not something we are doing or pursuing in any way," he told reporters.
Regional powers condemn Israeli incursion into Syria
Tuesday 10 December 2024 12:50
Alex Croft
Regional powers in the Middle East have condemned Israel’s military action in Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday: “The assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.”
Egypt condemned the “further occupation of Syrian lands”, while Qatar’s foreign ministry described the move as a “dangerous development”, adding on Tuesday that it is unacceptable for Israel to "exploit" the current situation in Syria.
Turkey’s foreign ministry also strongly condemned the move, accusing Israel of “once again displaying its occupation mentality”.
Comment | US bombing of Syria after Assad shows a real fear of what’s next
Tuesday 10 December 2024 12:36
Alex Croft
Washington seemed stunned by the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s murderous regime in Syria over the weekend. Albeit not as “stunned” as whoever found themselves on the ground when the US Air Force unleashed dozens of air raids on 785 sites in Syria – while Assad was still on his way to exile in Moscow.
The Americans weren’t suddenly swinging in behind the rebellion that swept away more than 50 years of rule by the Assads. The Pentagon unleashed B-52 bombers, F-15 fighters and A-10 Warthogs because the coalition that roared into Damascus, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has its roots in violent global Islamist extremism.
The US, aided by small units of British Special Forces and MI6, has a significant presence in eastern Syria, where it uses bases protected by Syrian Kurds, and some desert hideouts, to campaign against what remains of the so-called Islamic State.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Home Office defends Syrian asylum pause as minister blames turmoil for decision
Tuesday 10 December 2024 12:20
Alex Croft
A Home Office minister has defended the UK’s suspension of all decisions on asylum claims from Syria, saying it is “important that we just stop and let events play out a bit.”
Dame Angela Eagle said the situation in the Middle Eastern nation is “very fluid”, arguing that the Home Office “can’t judge somebody’s asylum claim when the country that they’re fleeing from is in such turmoil”.
But she admitted that it is too early to say whether the collapse of the Assad regime will improve the situation.
Political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Netanyahu faces corruption charges in Israeli court
Tuesday 10 December 2024 12:08
Alex Croft
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing corruption charges in an Israeli court on Tuesday, as his military forces pound Syria and stage an incursion into the Golan Heights demilitarised zone.
Netanyahu is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer, in return for assistance with personal and business interests.
He is also accused promoting beneficial regulations for media moguls in exchange for favourable coverage of himself and his family.
Speaking on court in a Tel Aviv courtroom on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he would “poke holes in the absurd accusations”. The 75-year-old says the charges are part of a witchhunt by a hostile media.
Qatar accuses Israel of ‘exploiting' Syrian situation
Tuesday 10 December 2024 11:53
Alex Croft
Qatar’s foreign ministry has said it is unacceptable for Israel to “exploit” the situation in Syria and violate its sovereignty.
When asked about communication with Syria’s leading rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), spokesperson for the ministry Majed Al-Ansari said Qatar’s doors would remain open to all parties in Syria.
‘Too early to say’ whether fall of Assad will improve situation in Syria, says minister
Tuesday 10 December 2024 11:39
Alex Croft
It is “too early to say” whether the overthrow of the Assad regime will improve the situation in Syria, a home office minister has said, following the suspension of all decisions on asylum claims from the Middle Eastern nation.
Dame Angela Eagle said it was impossible to say how long decisions will be paused for, as the government cannot predict what the country will look like under its new regime.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the weekend, is banned in the UK because of its past association with al-Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Watch: Bel Trew crosses ‘empty’ Syria border after fall of Assad dictatorship
Tuesday 10 December 2024 11:26
Alex Croft
A border that would have been populated by Bashar al-Assad's regime forces was deserted as The Independent’s international correspondent Bel Trew crossed over.
Turkey condemns Israeli incursion into buffer zone
Tuesday 10 December 2024 11:15
Alex Croft
Turkey has strong condemned Israel’s entry into the demilitarised buffer zone which separates Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Ankara’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Israel is “once again displaying its occupation mentality”.
Israel denies that its forces have entered Syrian territory beyond the buffer zone, as reported by some Syrian sources who said the incursion reached within 25km of capital Damascus.
Israel crosses into buffer zone in occupied Golan Heights
Tuesday 10 December 2024 11:01
Alex Croft
Shamima Begum hopes of returning to UK ‘bolstered’ by collapse of Assad regime in Syria, lawyer claims
Tuesday 10 December 2024 10:45
Alex Croft
Shamima Begum could launch a fresh legal bid to return to the UK following the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime, it has emerged.
Tasnime Akunjee, Ms Begum’s family lawyer, says the danger faced by the 25-year-old over the future of the Syrian detention camp where she is being held “bolstered” her claim before a court.
Ms Begum, who was born and raised in east London, was stripped of her British citizenship by former home secretary Sajid Javid after she travelled to Syria, aged 15, to join Islamic State.
For at least five years she has been held at the Roj detention camp in north-eastern Syria, which is controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
My colleague Alex Ross reports:
Watch: Despairing Syrians search Assad’s notorious Saydnaya prison for signs of loved ones
Tuesday 10 December 2024 10:30
Alex Croft
Families desperately scoured the filthy cells of Syria’s Saydnaya prison on Monday (9 December) for any sign of their long-detained loved ones after its gates were flung open by rebels following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Thousands of prisoners spilled out of Assad’s detention system after he was toppled on Sunday.
There were tearful reunions with relatives who believed their family members had been executed years earlier.
However, other families have been trawling dark corridors and hidden cells in the complex for a trace of those detained for attending protests, defying authorities or voicing discontent.
Watch despairing Syrians search for their loved ones:
