The Syrian army command has notified its officers that the rule of President Bashar al-Assad rule has ended after militants enter Damascus, says an officer.
The unnamed army officer spoke to Reuters today after reports said Assad had flown out of Damascus for an unknown place.
The militants, meanwhile, also declared that they had captured Damascus and announced the fall of the Assad government.
On the other hand, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali expressed the government’s readiness to extend its hand to the militants and transfer its functions to a transitional government.
In an video statement, he said that he is his house and he has not left because of his belonging to the country.
The prime minister also noted that he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property.
Foreign-backed militants, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), launched a surprise two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the countryside around Idlib on November 27.
Afterward, they captured several cities, including Hama, Homs, Dara’a, Suwayda, and Damascus.
HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani called on militants to leave state institutions unharmed.
In a statement on Telegram, he directed to the militants that it is strictly forbidden to approach public institutions that will remain under the supervision of the ex-prime minister until they are officially handed over. He added it is also forbidden to fire bullets into the air.
