Assad regime ends in Syria, PM pledges transition of power

The Assad family's 50-year rule over Syria has come to an end after opposition fighters took Damascus early Sunday.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad - who was in power for 24 years after succeeding his father - has also reportedly fled the country.

The country's prime minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali has been quoted by international press as saying he was prepared to facilitate a peaceful transition of power to any government chosen by the people.

Assad's (above) rule had been under pressure since 2011 when Arab Spring protests turned into a civil war.

The opposition - led by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - had led a swift offensive since late November and pushed government forces out of major cities Aleppo, Hama, and Homs.

HTS is an offshoot of Al-Qaeda that the US considers a terrorist group.

However, in 2023 its leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani was reported as trying to rebrand the group with a more moderate image.

Associated Press cited Abu Mohammed as pursuing an agenda of pluralism and religious tolerance, and had reportedly dissolved religious police under the group.

He had reportedly said that Islamic law should not be imposed through force.

"We don’t want the society to become hypocritical so that they pray when they see us and don’t once we leave,” he said.

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