Syria – live: Tomb of Assad’s father set on fire by rebels while Israel strikes Syrian military 480 times
Israel denies penetrating Syria beyond buffer zone in occupied Golan Heights
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rebel fighters have set fire to the tomb of Syria‘s former president Hafez Assad in his hometown in the country’s northwest.
The insurgents posed with the flag of the revolution in the burnt-out mausoleum on Wednesday, as it was revealed Russian intelligence agents organised the swift escape of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad after convincing him he would lose to encroaching forces.
The fresh details were reported by Bloomberg , which revealed Russia offered Assad a safe exit if he left the country immediately.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the toppling of Assad on a plan by the US, Israel and one of Syria’s neighbours that he did not name.
His intervention on Wednesday came as Israel said it launched more than 480 airstrikes against military facilities across Syria, destroying the Syrian navy and targeting weapons stockpiles and strategic infrastructure.
The Israeli military said they carried out the strikes over the last 48 hours, hitting weapons production sites in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Palmyra. The targets also included airfields, anti-aircraft batteries, drones, aircraft and tanks.
Russia has also criticised Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights region in Syria’s south-west as prolonging instability, as the Kremlin said the safety of its military and diplomatic personnel in the country was paramount.
A US official has also said American troops will remain in Syria to take on Isis militants despite the ongoing crisis following the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad.
US troops “have been there now for the better part of a decade or more to fight Isis… we are still committed to that mission,” said US deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.
Who is Mohammed al-Bashir? Syria’s new interim PM who has connections to both Assad and the rebels
‘They tortured me when I asked to see him’: Wife of jailed Syrian reveals truth of Assad’s slaughterhouse jail
‘Every home has three or four missing. It is our nightmare’ – Syrians’ desperate search for loved ones
Footage shows secret underground tunnels used by Assad regime in Syria
In pictures: Syrians cross the border from Turkey back into their homeland
Senior US general met troops, SDF forces in Syria
The top US general responsible for the Middle East visited Syria on Tuesday to meet US troops and U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian forces (SDF), the US military said.
“(General Erik Kurilla) received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent Isis from exploiting the current situation,” the statement said.
US asks Syrian rebels HTS to help in search for journalist Austin Tice
The United States has asked Syria‘s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group to help locate and free missing American journalist Austin Tice as it liberates the country’s prisons in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday.
Washington is telling all parties in Syria that Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, is a top U.S. priority, Miller told a press briefing.
Miller said that message had been sent via intermediaries to HTS, the faction that led the rebel operation that unseated Assad and which the U.S. considers to be a terror group, as well as other entities operating in Syria.
“In all of our communications with parties that we know talk to HTS, we have sent very clearly the message that as they move through Syria liberating prisons, that our top priority is the return of Austin Tice,” he said.
“We want anyone who’s operating on the ground in Syria to be on the lookout for him, and if they do find him, to return to him to us safely as soon as possible.”
President Joe Biden has said he believes Tice is alive and has dispatched hostage-affairs envoy Roger Carstens to the region as part of intensive efforts to free him.
‘Every household has three or four missing. It’s our nightmare’
Syria’s grim search: ‘Every household has three or four missing. It’s our nightmare’
From Assad’s slaughterhouse jail to the hospital morgue piled up with mutilated bodies, desperate Syrians search for family members disappeared under a despot’s brutal regime, reports Bel Trew
Israel’s warplanes pound Syria as it destroys Assad’s naval fleet
Israel’s warplanes pound Syria as it destroys Assad’s naval fleet
After the fall of the Assad regime, the Israeli military has taken control of a UN-controlled buffer zone in the Golan Heights and hit targets across the country
US troops are staying in Syria, White House says
US troops are staying in Syria because they have an important mission to complete there, US deputy national security advisor Jon Finer said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Tuesday.
He said the Biden administration is in contact with members of the incoming team of President-elect Donald Trump and keeping them apprised.
New Syrian PM pictured after talks with rebels and ousted government
The Assads’ next chapter: A ‘desert rose’ wife and a life of luxury
The Assads’ next chapter: A ‘desert rose’ wife, preppy children and a life of luxury
As their brutal 24-year reign finally came to an end, the Assads fled to Moscow, where they were granted asylum. Here, Zoë Beaty looks at a family living in a bubble of privilege, and at how they will be protected by an elite circle of power and influence that reaches across Europe and beyond
Israel says it has struck Syrian navy facilities and weapons stockpiles
Israel says it has struck two Syrian navy facilities and strategic weapons stockpiles.
The military announced the strikes, which took place on Monday, earlier this evening.
EU foreign policy chief Kallas: legitimate concerns about Syrian sectarian violence
There are legitimate concerns about the risks of sectarian violence in Syria and a resurgence of extremism in the country, the European Union’s new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday, while pointing to positive early signals.
Syria‘s new interim leader announced on Tuesday he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad three days ago.
Kallas also told a European Parliament committee session that “the new people are judged by their deeds”.
“It is very, very early to tell whether this goes to the right direction,” she said, adding that “the first signals are good, but we are not rushing into any kind of arrangements yet, if we don’t have certainty”.
European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss the situation when they meet in Brussels on Dec. 16.
Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, said the fall of Assad represented a blow for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran.
“For Putin and the Iranian regime, the fall of Assad is a huge blow for both,” said Kallas.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments