Syria – live: US man Travis Timmerman found alive after seven months in Syrian jail as Israel strikes ports
American Travis Timmerman was found by Syrian rebels, as Israel continues its bombardment around much of the country
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Your support makes all the difference.An American who was detained in Syria for seven months has been freed, as Syrian rebels scour areas once controlled by Bashar al-Assad’s now-deposed regime.
Travis Timmerman, from Missouri, was found when trying to find his own way out of Syria after being freed from a prison by Syrian rebels.
He was initially mistaken by some on social media to be American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in 2012.
Mr Timmerman was detained when he entered Syria without permission for “spiritual purposes” seven months ago, he told CBS News. He was freed by two armed men with AK-47s on Monday after a stretch in prison which “wasn’t too bad”.
Meanwhile, Israel continues its bombardment of Syria, as the country looks to build its post-Assad future.
Israeli warplanes “continue to destroy what remains of Syria’s military arsenal for the fourth consecutive day”, UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
As of Wednesday, over 352 air strikes had been carried out in 13 Syrian provinces. This included attacks on warehouses, airports, and a naval fleet in a port on Latakia.
Israel says it is targeting military infrastructure to prevent it from falling into hostile hands.
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America’s closest ally in Syria losing ground
America's closest ally in Syria is losing ground as a new order takes shape
The jihadi rebels who toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad say they want to build a unified, inclusive country
Biden aides to try to ensure peaceful transition of power
US president Joe Biden’s top aides are heading to the Middle East seeking to advance efforts to help ensure a smooth transition in Syria and reach a Gaza ceasefire.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to visit Jordan and Turkey, while national security adviser Jake Sullivan planned stops in Israel, Qatar and Egypt in coming days, officials said.
Mr Blinken will “reiterate the United States’ support for an inclusive, Syrian-led transition to an accountable and representative government,” the State Department said.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares said on Wednesday the international community needs to establish ‘several red lines’ in any talks with the new Syrian leadership and move quickly to guarantee a peaceful future for the country.
In pictures: Syrians celebrate
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As Bashar al-Assad’s hiding place is revealed, Guy Walters examines the hideouts of some of the leaders of the most oppressive regimes in history, from Hitler to Mussolini, and concludes that these lairs serve as prisons to deeply disturbed and paranoid minds
Ukraine ‘gave rebels drones'
Syrian fighters received about 150 drones and other covert support from Ukrainian intelligence operatives last month, weeks ahead of the rebels’ advance that toppled Bashar al-Assad over the weekend, according to The Washington Post.
The paper said Ukrainian intelligence sent about 20 drone operators and about 150 first-person-view drones about four to five weeks ago to aid Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Russia’s foreign ministry had earlier said the rebels had received drones from Ukraine and training in how to operate them, an accusation that Ukraine’s foreign ministry at the time said it categorically rejected.
Rebels will dissolve regime security forces, leader vows
Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has told Reuters he will dissolve the security forces of the toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad.
He also said his group that now rules most of Syria was working with international organisations to secure possible sites where chemical weapons may be located.
Kurds in Syria face an uncertain future
The jihadi rebels who toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad say they want to build a unified, inclusive country. But after 14 years of civil war, putting that ideal into practice will not be easy. For Syria‘s Kurdish minority - America’s closest ally in the country - the struggle for a new order is entering a potentially even more challenging phase.
Over the course of Syria‘s civil war, Kurdish fighters have fended off an array of armed factions, partnered with the US to rout the Islamic State group and carved out a largely autonomous region in the country’s oil-rich east. But the gains of the non-Arab Kurds are now at risk. The ascendance of the Sunni Arab rebels who overthrew Assad — with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the Kurds — will make it hard for the Kurds to find a place in the new Syria and could prolong the conflict. The jihadi rebels who rode into Damascus over the weekend have made peaceful overtures to the Kurds. But the rebels violently drove Kurdish fighters out of the eastern city of Deir al-Zour days after government forces abandoned it. To the north, a separate opposition faction backed by Turkey that has been battling the Kurds for years seized the town of Manbij. And Turkey carried out airstrikes on a Kurdish convoy it said was carrying heavy weapons looted from government arsenals. The Kurds have long counted on US aid in the face of such challenges.
Around 900 American troops are in eastern Syria, where they partner with Kurdish forces to prevent an Islamic State resurgence.
But the future of that mission will be thrown into doubt under president-elect Donald Trump, who has long been skeptical about US involvement in Syria.
What does fall of Assad in Syria mean for the Middle East and the West?
For over half a century, one family ruled Syria. Yet nearly overnight, as rebels advanced through the country and ultimately reached the capital, Damascus, that brutal reign came to an end.
After 13 years of civil war under the iron-fisted rule of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, there is now hope for millions of Syrians who endured a campaign of barrel bombs, forced disappearances and torture.
But many questions remain as party lines shift and alliances in the region undergo dramatic changes.
How will the fall of the Assad regime reshape geopolitical dynamics worldwide, and what does it mean for key political players?
Safeguarding Russian bases and diplomats in Syria paramount: Kremlin
The Kremlin says ensuring the security of Russia’s military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria is of paramount importance.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was maintaining contacts with those in charge in Syria and that it was hopeful stability would be achieved.
Russia, whose airforce carried out strikes against advancing Syrian rebels earlier this month, before Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled, has a key air base in Latakia province and a naval facility at Tartous, its only Mediterranean repair and replenishment.
The Kremlin also took aim at Israel’s strikes against the Golan Heights region, in the border area abbutting Israel and Lebanon, after Israeli forces moved into the territory to prevent militant groups from occupying regions along the border which could be used to launch offensives into its territory.
Russia said Israel’s actions on the front were unlikely to contribute to Syria’s stabilisation.
How Russian agents persuaded Assad to flee his failed regime
Earlier, it was revealed Russian intelligence agents persuaded Bashar al-Assad to flee Syria with Moscow having become convinced that he would lose against the insurgents rapidly advancing on Damascus.
Sources have told Bloomberg Moscow offered Mr Assad a safe exit if he left the country immediately as the rebel forces led by former al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) approached, leading to the toppling of 50 years of rule by the Assad family.
According to a report by Bloomberg, citing three people with knowledge of the situation, Russian agents flew Mr Assad out via a Russian airbase in Syria, with the aircraft’s transponder turned off to avoid being tracked.
The new details follow confirmation by Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, that the Syrian dictator had been whisked out of the country “in the most secure way possible”.
“He is secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation,” he said during an interview with US television network NBC.
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