Watch live: Damascus mosque sees first Friday prayers after Assad regime toppled

WorldPolitics
13 Dec 2024 • 5:47 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

Watch live as Damascus residents pray at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on the first Friday (13 December) after rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Syrians are celebrating the demise of Assad’s government after 13 years of civil war sparked by the president’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters following the Arab Spring.

A rebel coalition took control of the capital Damascus in a lightning offensive overnight on Sunday, 11 days after launching a major operation.

Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the end of Assad’s “barbaric regime.”

Russia, a close ally that has propped up the regime for years, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully.

Mohammed al-Bashir has been named as the country’s interim leader and tasked with ushering in a stable government.

In a brief address on state television on Tuesday, he announced that representatives of the rebels and the ousted government had agreed for him to act as caretaker until 1 March.

"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.

Newswav Malaysia Best News App

Newswav is an online content aggregator and obtains its content from different online sources. The content in the app do not belong to Newswav nor do they reflect the opinions of Newswav and its staff. Your use of this app indicates your understanding and acceptance of this information.

Newswav Sdn. Bhd. (201701008480 (1222645-M)) 2026 All Rights Reserved