Syria LIVE | Israel strikes Damascus, seizes more territory in occupied Golan Heights
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has stated that the presence of Israeli forces in Syrian territory is a "temporary" and "limited" measure aimed at safeguarding Israel’s security
Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russia, the media in the latter country said on Sunday (December 8), within hours of Syrian rebels seizing control of Damascus and ending Assad and his family’s 50 years of iron rule.
According to news AP, thousands of Syrians poured into the streets that echoed with celebratory gunfire, waving the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war.
The swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Also read: For US, Israel, fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad is the biggest in a slew of victories
“Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” US President Joe Biden said, crediting action by the US and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. He called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” and said rebel groups are “saying the right things now” but the US would assess their actions.
Russia has requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss Syria, according to Dmitry Polyansky, its deputy ambassador to the UN, in a post on Telegram.
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Live Updates
- 9 Dec 2024 1:42 PM IST
HTS set to push into Syrian regime's final strongholds
Fighters with HTS, the main opposition group now controlling Damascus, say they are preparing to push into the regime’s final strongholds in Latakia and Tartus, reports Al Jazeera
- 9 Dec 2024 1:39 PM IST
Indians in Syria are safe, embassy in touch with them
Officials of the Indian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus are safe and are in contact with Indians in the conflict-hit country where the government of Bashar Al-Assad fell to a militant uprising on Sunday.
“Our embassy continues to remain operational in Damascus, Syria. The embassy is in touch with all Indian nationals, and they are safe. The embassy remains available to assist Indian nationals in Syria,” said a source in the Ministry of External Affairs.
- 9 Dec 2024 1:37 PM IST
France hails Assad's downfall as ‘stunning defeat of Russia’
Reuters reports that Jean-Noël Barrot, who continues to act as France’s foreign minister while the country assembles a new government, has said on the radio that the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria was a stunning defeat for Russia, and said France will shortly send a special diplomatic envoy to Damascus.
- 9 Dec 2024 1:34 PM IST
Israel strikes suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria
Israel's foreign minister says it has struck suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria. The minister also said that minorities in Syria must be protected, attacks on Kurds in Syria must stop.
- 9 Dec 2024 1:25 PM IST
Japan ‘strongly concerned’ by the situation in Syria
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the spokesman for the Japanese government, says Tokyo is closely following the developments in Syria.
He said the government hopes the humanitarian situation in Syria would improve following al-Assad’s removal, according to local media reports.
Hayashi said Tokyo was “strongly concerned" about the events in the country, and expressed “hope that the violence will end as soon as possible, and all Syrian people can enjoy freedom and prosperity".
- 9 Dec 2024 1:24 PM IST
UK to change terror status of HTS?
Speaking on Sky News in the UK this morning, senior minister Pat McFadden has suggested that the country may consider changing the status of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the UK currently designates as a proscribed terror group.
Reuters reports he told viewers “We will consider that. And I think it will partly depend on what happens."
The British government proscribed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in May 2017 as an alternative name for al-Qaida.
- 9 Dec 2024 1:23 PM IST
Israel conducts missile attack on Syria
Israeli media reports indicate that Defense Minister Israel Katz has directed the Israeli military to target various sites within Syria, including "surface-to-air missiles, air defence systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets, and coast-to-sea missiles."
In a statement, Katz, who was recently appointed to the role, confirmed that he had instructed the military to establish a "security zone free of heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure."
- 9 Dec 2024 1:21 PM IST
China hopes for 'political resolution' amid crisis
China’s foreign ministry on Monday called for the restoration of stability and order in Syria and the search for a “political solution” as soon as possible, after rebels seized the Syrian capital over the weekend and its president fled to Russia.
As Syria looks for a political solution, China hopes that all the parties concerned would be guided by the long-term interests of the Syrian people, Mao Ning, spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a regular news conference. (Reuters)
- 9 Dec 2024 1:19 PM IST
Syrian Football Association changes national team's kit colour
The Syrian Football Association has announced that the colour of the national team’s kit and logo has changed from red to green following the toppling of ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
“Our new national team uniform,” the group posted on social media alongside a photo of several players clad in green, reported Al Jazeera.
