The prime minister of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday said he had agreed to transfer power to the rebel-led Salvation Government, following the rebels’ capture of Damascus and Assad’s flight to Russia, according to a report
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People walk at a souk, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo, Syria, on Monday. Reuters
The prime minister of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday said he had agreed to transfer power to the rebel-led Salvation Government, following the rebels’ capture of Damascus and Assad’s flight to Russia, according to a Reuters report,
This power shift marks the end of more than 50 years of the Assad family’s authoritarian rule and comes after 13 years of devastating civil war, leaving Syrians both at home and abroad hopeful yet uncertain about the country’s future.
On Monday, Damascus began to come alive again, with traffic returning to the streets and people emerging after a nighttime curfew, although most shops remained closed. Rebel fighters from the countryside gathered in the heart of the capital, congregating in the central Umayyad Square.
“We had a purpose and a goal and now we are done with it. We want the state and security forces to be in charge,” Reuters quoted Firdous as saying.
Omar said he had been battling the Assad government since 2011 and was now looking forward to laying down his weapon and returning to work as a farmer in provincial Idlib.
According to Reuters, citing Al Arabiya TV, Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali said he had agreed to hand power to the Salvation Government, an administration based in a small pocket of rebel-held territory in northwest Syria.
He said the handover could take days to carry out.
The main rebel commander, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, met overnight with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss the formation of a transitional government, reported Reuters, citing a source familiar with the talks.
Al Jazeera reported that the transitional authority would be led by Mohamed al-Bashir, who previously headed the Salvation Government before the rapid 12-day offensive that captured Damascus.
A source close to the rebels in Idlib confirmed Bashir’s nomination, though no official announcement had been made.
Syria’s banks are set to reopen on Tuesday, with staff instructed to return to their offices, according to sources at the central bank and commercial banks.
At the Interior Ministry, which once oversaw Assad’s police force, furniture had been looted and employees were absent. Armed rebels were stationed there to maintain order.
The oil ministry called on all workers in the sector to return to their posts on Tuesday, assuring that security would be provided for their safety.
The advance of a militia alliance led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, marks a historic shift in the Middle East.
This turn of events brings an end to a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, triggered one of the largest refugee crises in modern history, and left cities in ruins, the countryside deserted, and the economy ravaged by global sanctions. Refugees in camps across Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan may finally return home.
A new history
Assad’s fall wipes out one of the main bastions fr