Live: Over 100,000 bodies found in mass grave near Damascus

The Reuters news agency is reporting that HTS-led rebels have granted amnesty to all military personnel conscripted into service during ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, citing sources on the Telegram platform. 

Yemen's Houthis said they would support Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) if they moved to confront Israel's incursions into Syria.

Israeli forces pushed further into the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, taking over the buffer zone between them and Syrian-controlled territory.

They have also launched a number of air strikes across Syria in an alleged attempt to prevent advanced weapons from falling into rebel hands.

"Our military operations in support of Gaza are ongoing and will not deviate from the compass of hostility that governs our jihad against the enemies of the nation," said Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Ansar Allah political bureau, writing on X.

"If [HTS] moves to confront the Israeli aggression against Syria, we will be the first to support it."

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the United Nations chemical watchdog, has warned Syrian authorities to make sure suspected stockpiles of chemical weapons are safe following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The OPCW said it had contacted Syria "with a view to emphasising the paramount importance of ensuring the safety and security of all chemical weapons related materials and facilities" in the country.

"To date... the Syrian declaration of its chemical weapons programme still cannot be considered as accurate and complete," said the OPCW.

"Serious concerns have remained about the completeness of Syria's initial declaration and the fate of significant amounts of chemical weapons unaccounted for."

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have appointed an interim prime minister to administer Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.

Mohammed al-Bashir, who was previously head of the HTS-backed government in Idlib, was announced on Monday to temporarily take over the country's running.

The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), the name of the HTS-backed administration, released an infographic detailing his resume:

🚨 #Syria

Mohammed al-Bashir will serve as an interim prime minister, not as the country’s president. His role will focus on forming a government to temporarily manage Syria’s affairs during the transitional period.

His resume 📁 pic.twitter.com/LtAySL7zuh

— Hussam Hammoud | حسام (@HussamHamoud) December 9, 2024

Germany has decided to "freeze" decisions on asylum requests from Syrians amid the "unclear situation", following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

"In view of this unclear situation, it is right that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has today imposed a freeze on decisions for asylum procedures that are still ongoing until the situation is clearer," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

The British government is considering removing Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of designated terrorist organisations following the group's victory in Syria.

Speaking to the BBC a day after HTS-led rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad, UK government minister Pat McFadden said any move to delist the former al-Qaeda affiliate would be a "relatively swift decision" considering the fluid situation in Syria.

"The leader of that group has distanced himself away from some of the things that have been said in the past," McFadden told the BBC's Today programme.

"He is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about protecting people's rights. So we'll look at that in the days to come."

HTS is listed by the UK's Home Office as an "alternative name" for al-Qaeda, the armed group that carried out the 11 September 2001 World Trade Centre attacks.

Read more: UK considering removing Syria's HTS from terror list

Egypt's foreign ministry condemned Israel's incursion into the buffer zone with Syria, describing it as an effort to "force a new reality on the ground," reported Reuters.

The ministry stated that Egypt views this as an extension of Israel's "further occupation of Syrian lands."

Over 4,000 Syrian army soldiers have fled to Iraq following the fall of Damascus to rebel forces and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, reported AP.

The official said the soldiers surrendered their weapons, ammunition, and armoured vehicles before being relocated to a camp, though its exact location was not disclosed.

Baghdad, previously aligned with Assad through its ties with Iran, has refrained from taking sides in the conflict.

The Turkish-backed opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) announced on Monday that it had taken control of Manbij, previously held by the US-backed YPG Kurdish group, also known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), reported Turkey's Anadolu news agency.

Manbij, which had been a strategic hub for the YPG, is now being cleared of mines and traps left behind by the group.

Reuters quoted a Turkish security source confirming that the SNA has taken control of Manbij. This followed several days of intense clashes with the Kurdish groups.

Israeli tanks have moved into Syrian territory in Quneitra, advancing two and a half to three kilometres into Syria, reported Al Jazeera Arabic.

The Syrian embassy in Amman removed the national flag from its building, according to Jordanian state media, which aired footage of the removal. It remains unconfirmed if the opposition flag has been raised in its place.

The embassy's official Facebook page displayed the Syrian revolution flag and issued a statement affirming its commitment to serving community members after the announcement of Assad’s fall.

The Kremlin announced on Monday that it plans to negotiate the future of Russian military bases in Syria with the new authorities once the situation stabilises.

A spokesperson confirmed that there are no scheduled meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The Kremlin also revealed that Putin personally decided to offer Assad asylum in Russia.

Al Jazeera Arabic reported on Monday that security and police forces have been deployed across the Syrian capital, Damascus, to safeguard state and security institutions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that Turkey expects international actors and the United Nations to back the Syrian people in establishing a comprehensive administration, reported Anadolu Agency.

Fidan emphasised that lasting peace in Syria can only be achieved through a national settlement amongst Syrian parties.

“A new era has begun in Syria, and now it is time to focus on the way forward,” Fidan said at the opening ceremony of the 15th Conference of Ambassadors, which is being held in the Turkish capital Ankara.

He expressed hope that Syria would become a country governed by an administration inclusive of all parties and ethnicities, fostering positive relations with its neighbours.

Fidan added that Ankara would work to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and continue efforts to rebuild Syria.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that the deployment of Israeli troops in Syrian territory is a "limited, temporary" measure aimed at ensuring Israel's security following the instability after Bashar al-Assad’s fall. Israel has been occupying Syrian territory for 57 years after it captured the Golan Heights following the 1967 six-day war.

Saar emphasised: "The only interest we have is the security of Israel," during a news conference in West Jerusalem.