Syrians search notorious jail for loved ones as rebels free Assad prisoners

3 months ago 2

Updated Dec. 9, 2024, 9:51 AM UTC

What we know

Families and rescue teams have rushed to a notorious Damascus prison where detainees are feared to be held underground, as many Syrians who disappeared under President Bashar al-Assad emerged to reunite with their loved ones.
Assad is in Moscow having fled the country after a coalition of rebels toppled his regime and captured the capital, Damascus, in a rapid two-week offensive that dealt a blow to his backers Russia and Iran.
Israel said it had struck suspected chemical weapons sites and rockets in Syria to prevent them falling into "the hands of extremists." The U.S. ordered more than 75 strikes on ISIS camps to stop the group taking advantage of the upheaval.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the assault against Assad along with other groups, has historic ties to Al Qaeda and is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. It has recently appeared to renounce more extremist elements.

Iran says it was fully aware of rebel movement; blames Syrian army for Assad's ousting

Iran's intelligence services were fully aware about the rebels and their information had been shared with the Assad's government, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Iran's state news agency IRNA last night.

"If the Syrian army had resisted, even Aleppo would not have fallen," he said.

"What was surprising was the inability of the Syrian army to confront the movement of the armed groups, and the second was the speed of the movements," he added.

Meanwhile a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran has established a direct line of communication with rebels within Syria’s new leadership in an effort to “prevent a hostile trajectory” between the two countries.

“This engagement is key to stabilize ties and avoiding further regional tensions,” the senior official said.

Syrian embassy in Moscow flies opposition's green flag

The Syrian embassy in Moscow is flying the flag of the opposition today after lowering its existing flag following the sweeping takeover by rebel forces, according to the Russian state news agency TASS and photos on news agencies.

The opposition's green-white-black tricolor flag replaced Assad regime's red-white-black tricolor.

Israel says it struck suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria

The Israeli military has struck suspected chemical weapons and long-range weapons sites in Syria, foreign minister Gideon Saar told reporters today.

“The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens,” he said. “That’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they will not fall in the hands of extremists.”

His comments came amid Israeli bombardment of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights where plumes of spoke rose over the Syrian Governorate of Quneitra.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said yesterday he ordered the Israeli military to take full control of the buffer zone with Syria in Golan Heights.

Katz said he took the decision alongside his boss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We are here to clearly state our determination to ensure the security of the Golan Heights communities," he said in a post on X.

U.S. Air Force conducts more than 75 strikes on ISIS targets amid Syria regime change

The U.S. ordered dozens of “precision airstrikes” against ISIS camps and operatives throughout Syria yesterday, Central Command said.

More than 75 strikes were carried out against Islamic State-related targets in an effort to degrade its capabilities and prevent ISIS from taking advantage of the current situation in Syria. The Air Force used a variety of aircraft, including B-52s, F-15s and A-10s.

Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said all groups in the area should be aware the U.S. will act “if they partner with or support ISIS in any way.”

“There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in central Syria,” he said.