Syria political affairs dpt. says meetings with diplomats positive
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The new Syrian regime said it held fruitful diplomatic meetings amid calls for an inclusive government and a series of new laws.
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An armed new regime fighter walks among costumers at the al-Hamidiyeh market inside the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. (AP)
The Syrian Political Affairs Administration announced on Tuesday that it held a meeting with ambassadors from Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.
The meeting was described as positive, with ambassadors pledging high-level coordination with the newly formed government.
In a related development, Qatar is set to reopen its embassy in Damascus in the coming days. Meanwhile, the Damascus International Airport is expected to resume operations soon, following ongoing cleaning and maintenance work initiated on Tuesday.
The Military Operations Command reported that 2,457 individuals have been imprisoned for "raising arms against civilians," with 5,648 weapons confiscated from those deemed unauthorized to possess them.
Additionally, 1,600 individuals were jailed for inciting sectarianism and issuing threats, with authorities warning that anyone sharing "sectarian videos" would face prosecution.
However, videos circulating on social media showed armed Syrian fighters carrying out field executions of individuals they referred to as Shabbiha, a derogatory term used to describe loyalists, in the village of al-Rabia, located in the countryside of Latakia.
The new regime forces' military operations administration reported ongoing clashes in al-Rabia, including the encirclement of a group of officers inside a fortified farm in the village.
Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani), the commander of the new regime forces' military operations room, stated today that his forces "will not hesitate to hold criminals, killers, and security and military officers involved in the torture of the Syrian people accountable."
"We will announce a first list of the names of senior figures implicated in torturing the Syrian people. Rewards will be offered for information about senior military and security officers involved in war crimes," he added.
New regime establishes interim government
Mohammed al-Bashir, head of the so-called "salvation government," announced, in a televised speech, that he has been authorized to form an interim government by the decision of the new government forces that have taken over Damascus.
"By decision of the General Command, we have been authorized to form an interim government. This will be done tentatively by March 1, 2025," al-Bashir told al-Hadath broadcaster.
It is worth noting that the "salvation government" was formed by opposition forces in Idlib in January 2024 while Syria was still under the leadership of now-ousted president Bashar al-Assad.
