TUNIS, Dec. 11 - The new Syrian authorities will assess the future of Russian military bases in the Arab republic in terms of the benefits and interests of the Syrian people, Mohammed Alloush, a prominent Syrian politician and former head of the opposition delegation to the Syria talks in Geneva and Astana, said.
"The issue of military bases is a sovereign decision of the Syrian state. It will undoubtedly be judged on the basis of the benefits and interests of the Syrian people, as well as Russia's interests," he said.
On 9 December, a TASS news agency source reported that the Syrian armed opposition had gained full control of Latakia province, where Russian military bases are located. According to this source, armed groups entered the territory of Tartus and Jableh after the opposition announced the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, the source noted that opposition forces did not violate Russian bases in Tartus and Khomeini.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Moscow was taking steps to ensure the security of Russian military bases in Syria. He noted that the necessary contacts are being established for this purpose and the military is implementing all the required security measures.
Mohammed Alloush is a founding member of the Jaish al-Islam coalition, where he served as the leader of its political wing. In 2016, he was appointed chief opposition negotiator during the Syrian peace talks in Geneva. In 2017, he led the Syrian opposition delegation to the Astana talks.
On 27 November, members of armed opposition groups launched a major offensive against government forces in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. By the evening of 7 December, opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had seized several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Dayr az-Zaur, Deraa and Homs. They entered Damascus on 8 December, after which Syrian army troops withdrew from the city. The head of the Syrian government, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, has expressed readiness for a peaceful transfer of power in the country. Assad left office and fled the country. On 10 December, Mohammed al-Bashir announced his appointment as head of the Syrian transitional government.
TASS/ gnews - RoZ
PHOTO - TASS/Ilzat Safargaliyev
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