DAMASCUS: Syria’s newly appointed transitional prime minister, Mohammad al-Bashir, urged for “stability and calm” in the country on Tuesday, just two days after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces in a swift offensive.
The rebels, who seized Damascus over the weekend, appointed al-Bashir as the interim head of government, with his term set to run until March 1, according to a statement. In his first interview since his appointment, al-Bashir spoke to Qatar’s Al Jazeera, emphasizing the need for the Syrian people to experience peace after years of conflict. “Now it is time for this people to enjoy stability and calm,” he said.
Assad fled Syria as Islamist-led opposition forces took control of the capital, marking the end of a brutal 50-year rule by his regime. A senior official confirmed to NBC News that Assad is now in Moscow.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the offensive, had previously called for a peaceful transfer of power. Jolani has pledged to pursue former regime officials responsible for war crimes and torture. In a statement to Sky News, he sought to reassure Syrians, stating that the country was “exhausted” by war and would not relapse into conflict. “Syria will be rebuilt… The country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It’s going towards stability,” he asserted.
Though HTS, which is affiliated with Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch, has sought to soften its image, it remains designated as a terrorist group by many Western nations.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an “inclusive” political process in Syria, emphasizing that the new government must be “credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian.” Blinken stressed the importance of protecting the rights of minorities and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid. The U.S. also aims to prevent Syria from becoming a haven for terrorism.
Despite the retreat of Islamic State (IS) forces from Syria’s territory, the group remains active, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting that IS militants killed 54 government soldiers after capturing them while they fled across the desert.
UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen called on the groups responsible for Assad’s ousting to translate their promises of unity into action. “What we need is for these messages of inclusiveness to be followed up in practice,” he said.
EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned of the risks of sectarian violence and extremism. “We must avoid a repeat of the horrific scenarios in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan,” she cautioned.
Syria’s civil war, now in its 14th year, has left 500,000 dead and displaced millions, many of whom sought refuge abroad. The fall of Assad has triggered a frantic search for tens of thousands of missing persons held in government jails.
Rebels have freed thousands of detainees, but many remain unaccounted for. Families of the missing are turning to the international community, with Syria’s White Helmet rescue group urging Russia to pressure Assad to disclose the locations of secret prisons and detainee lists.
In one such case, Umm Walid, a mother searching for her brother who disappeared in 2013, shared her desperate quest at Saydnaya prison, notorious for its brutal conditions.
The UN has called for accountability, urging the new government to hold Assad and his regime officials responsible for human rights abuses. Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, vowed, “We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, and security officers involved in torturing the Syrian people.”
Amid these transitions, Israel’s military continued airstrikes across Syria, reportedly targeting key military sites. The UN’s Pedersen condemned the strikes, urging Israel to cease its bombardments. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that any Syrian government that allows Iran to establish a presence or facilitates weapon transfers to Hezbollah will face a “forceful” response.
The Syrian conflict remains far from over, with continued fighting in the north between Turkish-backed and Kurdish forces, which has claimed 218 lives over the past three days.
