DAMASCUS/NEW YORK, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Israeli military incursions into Syria are about 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of Damascus, Syrian security sources said on Tuesday, after Israel captured a buffer zone in southern Syria and began airstrikes. It was announced that it had been reached. They attacked Syrian military and air bases overnight.
Syrian security sources said Israeli forces had arrived in Qatana, 10 kilometers east of Syrian territory from the demilitarized zone that separates Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli military declined to comment.
Israel says it is not involved in the Syrian conflict and insists that its occupation of the buffer zone was a defensive measure.
Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemned the invasion. Saudi Arabia said the move “undermines any chance of restoring security in Syria.”
Regional security officials and officers of the now-defunct Syrian army said heavy Israeli airstrikes against military installations and air bases across Syria continued overnight, as well as dozens of helicopters and jets, as well as targets in Damascus and the surrounding republic. He said defense force assets were also destroyed.
A rough tally of 200 raids left no Syrian military assets, they said.
“Everyone was surprised, including the members of the council. So we will wait and see how the situation develops,” Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia told reporters after meeting with the body. There is a need,” he said.
Russia played a major role in supporting the Assad regime and helping fight the rebels. The Syrian leader fled Damascus for Moscow on Sunday, ending more than 50 years of brutal rule by his family.
With celebrations still in the air in Damascus, Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammad Jalali agreed on Monday to hand over power to a rebel-led rescue government based in rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria.
hollowed out
Al-Jazeera TV reported that Mohamed Al-Bashir, who led the rescue government, will head the transitional authority.
The civil war that began in 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands of people, sparked the biggest refugee crisis of modern times, left cities in ruins from bombings, rural areas depopulated and economies hollowed out by global sanctions.
However, the rebel alliance has not communicated its plans for Syria’s future, and there is no template for such a transition in this troubled region.
“This is an incredible moment for the Syrian people,” U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood said in New York. “We are now working hard to see what the situation will be. Is it possible that there will be a governing authority in Syria that respects the rights and dignity of the Syrian people?”
There were temporary signs that order was being restored. Syrian banks are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, and the oil ministry called on all employees in the sector to come to work on Tuesday, adding that protection will be provided to ensure their safety.
Reuters reporters witnessed four small buses carrying staff arriving at the Central Bank of Syria for their first shift since the fall of the Assad regime, disembarking and entering the building.
“It’s a new change, a new day, a new year, a new life,” said Sumaira Al Muqri.
However, fear of retaliation remained. HTS said it will not hesitate to hold accountable security and military officials involved in torturing Syrian citizens as criminals and murderers.
“We will publish a list containing the names of top officials involved in the torture of Syrian citizens,” Golani said in a statement. “Rewards are available for those who provide information about military and security officials involved in war crimes.”
HTS has been designated a terrorist organization by many countries and the United Nations, and its governance status is uncertain.
“The Syrian people expect to establish a state of freedom, equality, rule of law and democracy, and we are committed to rebuilding our homeland, rebuilding what has been destroyed, rebuilding the future of Syria and a better future. join the effort,” the UN in Syria said. Ambassador Kousei al-Dahak told reporters.
(This article has been re-edited to correct a typo in the heading)
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Report from Damascus by Maya Gebailey and Timur Azhari. Mr. Suleiman Al Khalidi and Mr. Firas Maqdesi in Amman. Mayan Rubel of Jerusalem. Andrew Mills in Doha. Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut; Enas Alashley, Jaider Taha and Adam Makary of Cairo; Klauda Tanios, Nadine Awadalla and Tara Ramadan in Dubai; Michelle Nichols in New York. Humeira Pamuk of Washington; Written by Cynthia Osterman. Editing: Lincoln Feast, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan
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