Moscow aims to maintain military bases in Syria; SDF 'essential' to preventing Islamic State takeover in Syria, says Blinken: Live updates on Syria

Thank you for joining is for our live coverage of the developments in Syria following the overthrowing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Be sure to come back tomorrow for more updates.

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Jordan announced that it will host a summit on Syria on Saturday with Western, Turkish and Arab diplomats, AFP reports.

Caretaker Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said that Ali Mamlouk, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's internal security adviser and head of Syria's National Security Bureau, is not in Lebanon.

"According to information from the Lebanese security services, Ali Mamlouk is not present in Lebanon and has not entered through any legal crossing point," Mawlawi told the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The intelligence services have confirmed that he is not on Lebanese territory."

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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned by "recent and widespread violations of Syria 's sovereignty and territorial integrity," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"The Secretary-General is particularly concerned by the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on multiple sites in Syria, underscoring the urgent need for de-escalation of violence on all fronts across the country," Dujarric told reporters.

Russia has established direct contacts with the political committee of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

Bogdanov also said that Moscow aims to maintain its military bases in Syria to continue "fighting international terrorism" in the country.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are "essential" to preventing the resumption of the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, quoted by AFP.

"As we look to see this transition to an interim government, to a better path for Syria, we also need to ensure that ISIS does not re-emerge. And the SDF is essential to ensuring that that does not happen," he said during a visit to Jordan.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Israel was now "stronger," Iran "weaker" and Tehran's proxies had been "decimated."

"We will ensure that Hamas can never again threaten Israel as it did on Oct. 7, ever. The balance of power in the Middle East has changed dramatically ... Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker [and] its proxies are decimated," Sullivan said at a news conference at the US Embassy in Jerusalem after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Possible strikes on chemical weapons sites in Syria could pose a risk of contamination and destruction of important evidence, the director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has warned.

"We are also closely monitoring reports of airstrikes targeting military installations. We do not yet know whether these strikes have hit sites linked to chemical weapons. Such airstrikes could create a risk of contamination," Fernando Arias said in a speech.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israeli airstrikes on Syria since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad were aimed at preventing military equipment from falling into the "wrong hands."

"The stated goal of these actions by the Israelis is to ensure that the military equipment abandoned by the Syrian army does not fall into the wrong hands – terrorists, extremists, etc. But we will discuss – we are already discussing – with Israel, we are discussing with others, the way forward," Blinken said during a visit to Jordan. 

Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin visited Damascus today, according to Turkish media cited by AFP.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States is "working to bring home" Travis Timmerman, the American citizen found and released in Syria, AFP reported. He also warned against the outbreak of "new conflicts" in Syria.

U.N. investigators compiled secret lists of thousands of perpetrators of serious crimes in Syria and hope that the fall of Bashar al-Assad will allow alleged perpetrators to be prosecuted at the highest levels.

"It is very important that the perpetrators of crimes at the highest level are brought to justice," Linnea Arvidsson, who coordinates the work of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI), told AFP.

"The focus should be on those who bear the primary responsibility for the [human rights] abuses committed over so many years, rather than on lesser perpetrators," she insisted during an interview in Geneva. 

The new Syrian authorities have announced that an American citizen named Travis Timmerman has been released, reported AFP

Syria's new government has announced that a "search is ongoing" for kidnapped American journalist Austin Tice and expressed its willingness to "cooperate" with Washington to locate Americans who have "disappeared" under the Assad regime, according to AFP.

Earlier reports suggested that a man found in Syria had been identified as Austin Tice. However, the claim was quickly refuted. Nizar Zakka, a former Lebanese detainee in Iran, told LBCI that the individual discovered is not Tice but another American national.

 ⚡ The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported today that several Israeli air strikes had targeted the outskirts of the capital Damascus, captured by Syrian rebels on Sunday.

"Israeli airstrikes targeted the outskirts of Damascus," echoing throughout the capital, according to AFP journalists on the scene. Since Sunday, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against military sites belonging to ousted president Bashar al-Assad's army.

At the Masnaa border crossing, the primary gateway between Lebanon and Syria, traffic is heavily congested with vehicles heading both into and out of Syria. (Credit: Zeina Anotnios/L'Orient Le-Jour)

Israel said on Thursday that it would continue to act to "ensure the security of its citizens," in response to an appeal from France urging it to "withdraw from the buffer zone" between Israeli and Syrian forces on the Syrian Golan Heights, reported AFP.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he had ordered the army to "take over" the Golan buffer zone in southwestern Syria.

⚡ The semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that holds swathes of Syria's northeast said today that it will adopt the three-starred independence flag used by the opposition, after rebels toppled longtime president Bashar al-Assad.

The Kurdish authority said in a statement it has "decided to raise the Syrian flag on all councils, institutions, administrations and facilities affiliated with the Autonomous Administration," describing the new flag as a "symbol of this new stage, as it expresses the aspirations of the Syrian people towards freedom, dignity and national unity."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that relations between Russia and Turkey remain unaffected by developments in Syria, according to a statement reported by Reuters.

In Syria, the two countries were on opposite end during the latest developments. Turkey has backed Syrian rebels in their efforts to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Moscow.

⚡ The Syrian Observatory for Human rights reported Israeli strikes in Syria, near Damascus, AFP reported. The information was also reported by MTV.

Syria's new government spokesman told AFP today the country's constitution and parliament would be suspended for the duration of the three-month transition period following president Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

"A judicial and human rights committee will be established to examine the constitution and then introduce amendments," Obaida Arnaout told AFP.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) powers today that they were ready to support the transition to an "inclusive" government in Syria and urged the new government to respect women's rights in the country.

"We stand ready to support a transition process... that leads to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance that ensures respect for the rule of law, universal human rights, including women's rights, the protection of all Syrians," they said in a statement issued by G7 president Italy.

The statement also emphasized "the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes."

The new authorities in Syria said that eight chancelleries, mostly from Arab countries, had resumed their activities a few days after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, thanking the eight countries concerned, reported AFP. Most of the countries with a representation in Damascus had suspended their diplomatic missions after the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011.

"We thank ... Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman and Italy for resuming the activities of their diplomatic missions in Damascus," said a statement from the new government's Political Affairs Department.

The Political Affairs Department of the Syrian transitional government has expressed its gratitude to the eight countries that have announced the resumption of their diplomatic missions in Damascus.

In a statement quoted by Russia Today, the department thanked Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman and Italy.

"We hope to build good relations with all countries that respect the will of the people and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian state," the statement added.

Iran faces new "realities" in Syria after the fall of power, said Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami, whose country was a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia.

Iran "has tried day and night to help the Assad government in every possible way," he said. After the change of power in Damascus, "we have to live with [new] realities in Syria" and Iran must "adapt its strategy accordingly," continued Hossein Salami, quoted by the state media today.

Hundreds of activists and relatives attend Mazen al-Hamada's funeral. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)

Numerous activists and family members of former detainees joined the procession to the mosque on Khaled Ibn Walid Street, where a prayer was held in honor of the deceased. The funeral quickly turned into a demonstration, drawing thousands of attendees. Protesters chanted slogans calling for freedom, along with messages denouncing Bashar al-Assad and regime officials, demanding they be brought to justice. "We want to see Assad in The Hague! ... The people want to put Assad in acid," one of the chants heard by our special correspondent. Shots fired into the air were quickly subdued by those overseeing the demonstration.

Mazen al-Hamada, a native of Deir Ezzor, had been imprisoned between 2012 and 2014 in the notorious Syrian Air Force prison. After his release, he became a vocal critic, testifying globally about the atrocities committed in the Syrian regieme's jails. For a variety of reasons, including being reportedly manipulated by the Syrian authorities, Mazen al-Hamada returned to Syria in 2020, only to disappear once again. His body was recently discovered in Sednaya.

Mazen al-Hamada's funeral in Damascus. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)

The funeral of Mazen al-Hamada, a well-known activist of the Syrian revolution, was held this Thursday morning in the streets of Damascus.

After his body was found in Sednaya prison on Monday, it was transferred to the morgue of Damascus's al-Moujtahed hospital, where members of his family came to identify him.

According to his sister, Amal al-Hamada, interviewed by our local journalist Caroline Hayek, Mazen al-Hamada was hung 10 days ago, after multiple acts of torture.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Jordanian King Abdullah agree on the importance of an inclusive political process in Syria, a German government spokesperson said on Thursday following a phone call between the two leaders.

"Both agreed that an inclusive political process in Syria was now very important and that the transition process needed to be supported. Both attached great importance to the protection of ethnic and religious minorities," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, he added.

HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, giving a public speech at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: Aref Tammawi/AFP)

Will sanctions be lifted against HTS, Syria’s new rulers? Laure Maissa-Farjallah explores the implications of their removal from blacklists and the possiblity of removing the sanctions imposed on Syria amid the fall of the Assad regime.

Click here to read more.

Two U.S. congressmen have urged senior American officials to suspend some sanctions on Syria to ease pressure on its shattered economy after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, according to a letter dated Dec. 10 and seen by Reuters.

The letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was signed by Republican Representative Joe Wilson, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and Democratic Representative Brendan Boyle, who chairs the Free Syria Caucus.

The lawmakers wrote that while keeping sanctions on former government officials was important, they believed "that other parts of the legislation — such as sectoral sanctions and sanctions related to reconstruction — should be suspended."

Another senior European diplomat told Reuters other states were pushing for broad humanitarian exemptions. The diplomat added it was "too early" to drop all sanctions altogether given HTS's prominent role in government.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Jordan at the start of a crisis tour following the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, an AFP journalist on his plane said today.

The outgoing top U.S. diplomat will meet Jordan's King Abdullah II and the foreign minister in the Red Sea city of Aqaba as he presses for an "inclusive" process to choose Syria's next government, U.S. officials said.

A young Syrian raising the peace sign with his fingers, on a street in Damascus, Dec. 11, 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) today that the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad has created an opportunity for Syria to "turn the page" on decades of repression and lead by example on human rights.

Assad's ouster "has created a momentous opportunity for Syria to break with decades of repression and turn the page on human rights," HRW said in a statement.

"A better future for Syria requires addressing decades of abuse by the former government and other warring parties during the country's 13-year conflict ... and protecting Syrians regardless of their ethnic or sectarian backgrounds or political affiliations."

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The rebel coalition in Syria also renewed calls against attacks on people and property, while warning prosecution to those who do not abide.

"We call on free rebels to respect the instructions and not attack people and property," the coalition's "general command" wrote in a statement on Telegram. "Any individual behavior that does not respect these instructions does not represent us and may be prosecuted."

Yesterday, the rebels had notably set fire to the grave of Bashar al-Assad's father, Hafez al-Assad, in Latakia province, while the Sayyeda Zeinab shrine in Damascus was also stormed.

Also yesterday, the Syrian interim Prime Minister, Mohammad al-Bashir, assured that the Islamist-led coalition that ousted Bashar al-Assad would "guarantee" the rights of all faiths, and urged the millions of exiled Syrians to return home.

"Precisely because we are Islamic, we will guarantee the rights of all people and all sects in Syria," said Bashir.

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U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in a call last night that it was important for the United States and Israel to be in close consultation over events unfolding in Syria, reported Reuters citing a Pentagon statement.

Austin told Katz that Washington was monitoring developments in Syria and that it backed a peaceful, inclusive political transition, according to the Pentagon. He added that the U.S. would continue its mission to prevent the Islamic State militant group from re-establishing a safe haven in Syria.

Following the collapse of Assad's regime, the Israeli military said its jets conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria and destroyed the bulk of Syria's strategic weapons stockpiles. The Israeli army also deployed in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, on the Golan Heights partially occupied by Israel. This is the first time since 1973 that the Israeli army has deployed on Syrian territory.

"Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of close consultation between the United States and Israel on events in Syria," the Pentagon said.

Good morning! 

Thank you for joining our live coverage of the events in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. 

Throughout the day, we’ll bring you updates on developments in Syria, key statements, and the situation in Damascus, with insights from our reporters on the ground.