Damascus, December 8 (IANS). The Syrian Army Command said in a statement that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has fallen as armed groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered the capital, Damascus.
According to Iran’s government news agency IRNA, the army command issued this statement on Sunday morning after reports of rebel armed groups entering Damascus and Assad leaving the city.
Several media outlets, citing rebel forces, reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has left the country.
According to IRNA, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said that he is ready to hand over the administration of the Arab country to a transitional government. “I am in my home and I have not left it, and that is because of my connection to this country,” he said in a video statement.
Al-Jalali further said that he is ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the Syrian people, and will not leave his home until a ‘peaceful transition’ is achieved. He appealed to all parties to think ‘rationally’ and said he extended a hand of cooperation to all, including opposition members.
Armed groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reportedly launched an offensive against the Assad government in the western province of Idlib on 27 November. They initially targeted the rural areas around Idlib and neighboring Aleppo and captured several Syrian cities soon after.
HTS, formerly known as Nusra Front, is considered a terrorist organization by many countries.
–IANS
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