Syrian Prime Minister Loses Contact With President Assad, Opposition Imposes Curfew

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said he was not opposed to resigning to transfer power, saying he had been unable to contact President Bashar al-Assad.

NBC News reported on December 8 that al-Jalali had asked the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement to redeploy police forces in the capital Damascus (Syria) while the parties were completing the power transfer process. The Syrian prime minister said he did not object to resigning.

Meanwhile, after declaring control of Damascus, the opposition on December 8 announced a curfew in the Syrian capital from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time.

Smoke rises from a building in Damascus, Syria on December 8.

The Syrian prime minister added that he had tried to contact President Bashar al-Assad on the morning of December 8 but had been unsuccessful and that his whereabouts were unknown. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Syrian president had left the country but did not say where he was. Bashar al-Assad has not been seen in public since the opposition entered Damascus.

Syrian Prime Minister says ready to transfer power, opposition forces enter capital

Reuters reported that on December 8, a group of Syrians broke into al-Assad's residence, walked through the rooms, posed for photos and took away furniture.

On December 8, Iran's Foreign Ministry said that the Iranian embassy in Damascus was stormed by members of an armed opposition group in Syria, who destroyed many items. Tehran said that embassy staff had left earlier and were safe. On the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that President al-Assad had missed an opportunity to reconcile with Syria, leading to the collapse of his regime after years of instability.

Several countries and international organizations said they are closely following the situation in Syria, calling for peaceful and stable solutions.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-tuong-syria-mat-lien-liac-voi-tong-thong-assad-phe-doi-lap-ap-lenh-gioi-nghiem-185241208201037358.htm