US, December 8, 2024 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau)- Hours after Syrian rebels overthrew the Bashar al-Assad government, a purported video showed a group of armed men escorting Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali out of his office and to the Four Seasons hotel. Assad’s whereabouts are unknown; however, some reports suggest he might have boarded a plane to flee the country.
The Syrian government collapsed early Sunday, falling to a lightning rebel offensive that seized control of the capital, Damascus. With the unexpected reversal of fortune for Assad, the civil war in Syria, which destroyed the country’s economy and forced millions to seek refuge in the West and neighboring countries, will likely end.
Earlier today, PM Ghazi al-Jalali called for free elections. He added that he had been in contact with rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani to discuss managing the transitional period.
US to stay in Syria
The US said it would maintain its presence in eastern Syria and take measures to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro said on Sunday.
“We are aware that the chaotic and dynamic circumstances on the ground in Syria could give ISIS space to find the ability to become active, to plan external operations, and we’re determined to work with those partners to continue to degrade their capabilities,” he told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain’s capital.
“(We’re determined) to ensure (Islamic State’s) enduring defeat, to ensure the secure detention of ISIS fighters and the repatriation of displaced persons,” Shapiro added.