Syrian fighters who toppled President Bashar al-Assad have appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as the country’s caretaker prime minister.
Al-Bashir, who headed the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led de facto government in Idlib province, will lead a transitional Syrian government until March 1, 2025, he said on Tuesday in a televised statement.
“Today we held a cabinet meeting that included a team from the [Syrian] Salvation Government [SSG] that was working in Idlib and its vicinity, and the government of the ousted regime,” al-Bashir said.
“The meeting was under the headline of transferring the files and institutions to caretake the government.”
The appointment comes after al-Bashir met with members of al-Assad‘s government.
The incoming leader was flanked by two flags as he spoke on TV: the green, black and white flag flouted by opponents of al-Assad throughout the civil war; and a white flag with the Islamic oath of faith in black writing.
The new government will decide on ministerial appointments in the coming days, al-Bashir said.
Al-Bashir headed the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in Idlib province before the 12-day lightning offensive swept into Damascus, toppling longtime leader al-Assad and ending more than half a century of al-Assad family rule.
Al-Bashir has close ties to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the group that led the Damascus takeover – which is tied to the SSG he headed.
The SSG, with its own ministries, departments, judicial and security authorities, was set up in the northwest bastion of Idlib in 2017 to assist people in the rebel-held area who were cut off from government services.
Al-Bashir also previously held the role of development minister in the SSG.
The SSG has begun rolling out assistance in Aleppo, the first major city to fall from government hands after opposition forces began their offensive.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has confirmed that the military had hit several Syrian naval vessels in overnight strikes.
“The [Israeli military] has been operating in Syria in recent days to strike and destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel. The navy operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet with great success,” Katz said during a visit to a naval base in the northern city of Haifa.
Israel has launched nearly 310 air strikes in Syria since the fall of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
He also warned Syria’s new rulers not to follow al-Assad’s path.
On its part, Qatar said it is unacceptable for Israel to exploit the current situation in Syria, occupy the country and violate its sovereignty, while Turkey said Israel’s actions in Syria “once again display its occupying mentality”.
However, Palestinian armed group Hamas has decried Israel’s “aggression” in Syria, saying Israel is now imposing its crimes on “people of the whole region”.
In a statement, Hamas condemned Israel’s “barbaric bombing of public facilities and properties” in Syria, after Israeli forces carried out dozens of strikes on facilities across the country since al-Assad was overthrown.
Hamas called on the international community to intervene and hold Israel responsible for these actions.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
