LIVE | Syrian rebels announce 'end of dark era' as President Assad flees

Assad has left Syria: Russian foreign ministry

The Russian Foreign Ministry says Assad has left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.

In a statement, the ministry did not say where Assad was now and said Russia has not taken part in the talks around his departure.

It said Russia's military bases in Syria had been put on a state of high alert, but that there was no serious threat to them at the current time.

It said Moscow was in touch with all Syrian opposition groups and urged all sides to refrain from violence.

Hezbollah withdraws forces from Syria

Two Lebanese security sources familiar with the matter said that Lebanese armed group Hezbollah withdrew all of its forces from Syria on Saturday as rebel factions approached the capital Damascus, Reuters reported.

Suspected Israeli strikes hit Syria's Mazzeh

Suspected Israeli strikes hit Mazzeh district of Damascus, one Lebanese and one Syrian security source said on Sunday, news agency Reuters reported.

'New page is being written in the history,' says country's foreign ministry

The Syrian foreign ministry issued a statement, in which it said “A new page is being written in the history of Syria” today with the country having endured nearly 14 years of civil war.

In a post on X, it said, “Syrian brothers Today, a new page is being written in the history of Syria, to inaugurate a national covenant and charter that unites the word of the Syrians, unites them and does not divide them, in order to build one homeland in which justice and equality prevail and in which everyone enjoys all rights and duties, far from one opinion. And citizenship is the basis.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic and its diplomatic missions abroad will remain committed to serving all fellow citizens and managing their affairs, based on the trust they bear in representing the Syrian people, and that the homeland remains supreme,” the post read.

'Will back peaceful, stable solution for Syria': Spain

Madrid wants "any solution for the future of Syria to be a peaceful one... that benefits the Syrian people and in some way brings new stability to the Middle East and not more instability", foreign minister Albares told Spanish public television.

China asks rebel forces to ensure safety of Chinese nationals in Syria

A concerned China on Sunday asked the rebel forces, which took control of the Syrian capital, overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad, to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and its institutions in the country.

Reacting to the rebel takeover of Syria, China, which had backed the Assad regime, said it was closely following the situation in the Arab country and hoped that stability would return as soon as possible.

A Foreign Ministry statement here said the Chinese Embassy is open in Damascus and extending all possible assistance to its nationals.

"We urge relevant parties in Syria to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria,” it said.

The Chinese government has been actively helping Chinese nationals who wish to leave the country to do so in a safe and orderly way, staying in contact with those still in Syria and offering them advice on how to stay safe, it said.

“The Chinese Embassy is still up and running and carrying out its duty in Syria. We will continue to make every possible assistance to Chinese nationals in need," it said.

Russia abandoned Assad, never should have been involved: Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Russia’s abandonment of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led to his downfall, adding Moscow never should have protected him in the first place and then lost interest because of a war in Ukraine that never should have started.

“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by (President) Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

“There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place,” Trump wrote. “They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine…a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”

Syrian PM ‘ready to support transition of power’

Syrian Prime Minister al-Jalali says he’s ready to support a transition of power and cooperate with the opposition after President al-Assad fled the country.

Diplomats left Iranian embassy in Damascus before 'assault'

Iranian media reported that Iranian diplomats in Damascus evacuated their embassy before it was attacked on Sunday. This followed the Syrian rebels’ announcement of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s Tehran-backed government. According to the Tehran Times, embassy staff were safely evacuated before the assault.

France hails fall of Assad, warns against 'extremism'

France on Sunday expressed support for the fall of Bashar al-Assad, describing it as an end to over a decade of "violent oppression against his own people." In a statement, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine called on Syrians to embrace "unity and reconciliation, and to reject all forms of extremism."