The rebel alliance that ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Syria has appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as the transitional head of government.
Al-Bashir, a key figure in the campaign to overthrow Assad, will lead the country until March 1, 2025.
“The general command has tasked us with running the transitional government until March 1,” al-Bashir said in a statement aired on state television’s Telegram account, where he was introduced as “the new Syrian prime minister.”
The Islamist-led rebel coalition seized the capital, Damascus, on Sunday, marking the end of five decades of Assad family rule. Assad reportedly fled the country as the rebels advanced into the city.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, spearheaded the offensive that forced Assad’s departure. Al-Jolani announced plans for a transfer of power while pledging to hold former regime officials accountable for alleged torture and war crimes.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once rooted in Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch and labelled a terrorist organisation by many Western countries, has sought to moderate its rhetoric in recent years.
Meanwhile, Middle Eastern nations, including Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, have accused Israel of exploiting Syria’s turmoil. These countries allege that Israel has conducted military operations in Syrian buffer zones.
The Israeli military recently acknowledged its troops were active beyond the demilitarised areas separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It claimed to have destroyed Syria’s military fleet and announced plans to establish “sterile defensive zones” in the region.
Rebel leaders have also declared senior officials from Assad’s regime wanted for alleged war crimes, specifically for their roles in the torture of political prisoners.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani stated, “Senior officials of the Assad regime who were involved in torturing political prisoners will be named and held accountable for their involvement in war crimes.”
This announcement followed reports from rebel fighters that 40 bodies discovered in a Damascus hospital morgue showed clear signs of torture.
