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

Turkey raised its flag at its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus as the mission resumed operations after a 12-year hiatus. 

The embassy, which had suspended operations in 2012, officially reopened with Burhan Koroglu, Ankara's ambassador to Mauritania, as acting charge d’affaires.

Located near the city’s Rawda Square in an area with the diplomatic missions of many other countries, the Turkish embassy continued to provide its services for a time after the government's violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in 2011.

Syrian officials told Reuters that Russia was pulling back its military from the frontlines in northern Syria and from posts in the Alawite mountains, but not leaving its two main bases in the country. 

Satellite images on Friday showed what appeared to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, among the world's largest cargo planes, at the Hmeimim base with their nose cones open, apparently preparing to load.

At least one cargo plane flew out on Saturday for Libya, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility said.

Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians told Reuters that Moscow was pulling back its forces from the frontlines and withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior officers.

A senior United Arab Emirates official said that his government was concerned with the "Islamist affiliation" of the rebels who ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

“We hear some reasonable, rational language about unity, not imposing a system on all Syrians," said Anwar Gargash, a presidential adviser in the UAE, in remarks at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi. 

"On the other hand, the nature of the new forces, the affiliation with the (Muslim) Brotherhood, the affiliation with al-Qaeda, I think these are all indicators that are quite worrying.”

The Syrian pound has strengthened against the US dollar by at least 20 percent over the past two days amid an influx of Syrians from neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan and an end to strict controls on trade in foreign currencies after the fall of the Assad government. 

Damascus currency traders cited exchange rates between 12,500 and 10,0000 on Saturday, a wide spread of between 20 percent and 50 percent stronger than the previous rate of 15,000, with high volatility in the market.

The traders cited the return of thousands of Syrians who had sought refugee abroad during the country's 13-year war and the open use of US dollars and Turkish currency in markets as having contributed to the change.

Using foreign currencies for everyday trade could previously have landed Syrians in jail, and many feared even uttering the word "dollar" in public.

The Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Syria has committed to supporting a peaceful and Syrian-led political transition that represents all political and social factions. 

The group consists of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and the secretary-general of the Arab League. 

In a statement, the group said it would respect the will and choices of the Syrian people and support Syria during this "critical phase" of its history. 

It also condemned Israel's incursions into the occupied Golan Heights and areas in Mount Hermon, Quneitra and the countryside around Damascus. 

Diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab nations met in Jordan on Saturday for talks on Syria as regional and global powers scramble for influence over which government replaces Bashar al-Assad. 

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration has begun engaging with the victorious rebel groups including Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led a lightning assault that ended in the capture of Damascus on Sunday.

Biden sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region this week to seek support for principles that Washington hopes will guide Syria's political transition, such as respect for minorities.

Meanwhile, Syria's northern neighbour Turkey, which had for years supported Syrian opposition forces looking to remove Assad, is poised to play an influential role in Damascus.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that his country's embassy in the Syrian capital would resume work on Saturday, after Turkey's intelligence chief visited this week.

Syria's neighbour Jordan was hosting Saturday's gathering in Aqaba. Russia and Iran, who were Assad's key supporters, were not invited.

A statue of Hafez al-Assad, the father of Bashar al-Assad and the founder of the Assad family's decades-long rule over Syria, was brought down in the capital, Damascus. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that 21 civilians, including two children, had died from unexploded ordnance since the fall of Bashar al-Assad nearly a week ago.

The casualties were spread across various regions, with six killed in Homs, four in Deir Ezzor, and three each in Palmyra and Manbij.

Aleppo and Idlib saw two deaths each, while Tal Rifaat recorded one.

The fatalities were caused by landmines left over from the war, with many others also injured, according to the UK-based monitoring group.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo with talks focused on Syria, as Egypt turns to Ankara to allay concerns about Syria’s new government.

Erdogan will attend a summit of developing nations, called the D-8, in the Egyptian capital on 19 December, one Egyptian official told Middle East Eye on Friday.

Egypt initially extended the invitation to Erdogan before the government of Bashar al-Assad was toppled in an offensive led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Turkish official confirmed to MEE on Friday.

Since then, Egyptian officials have looked to secure Erdogan’s visit as Sisi seeks direct talks with the Turkish leader on Syria, the Egyptian official said.

The visit underscores how Erdogan’s regional influence has expanded with the Assad government gone and Syrian rebels establishing a transitional government in Damascus.

Read more: Turkey's Erdogan to visit Cairo with Syria high on agenda

David Hearst, the editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye, discusses how, if it does succeed, Syria could provide a powerful lesson in how a rebel movement gains national legitimacy.

Dutch MP Stephan van Baarle, representing the Denk party, has strongly criticised Israel's ongoing air strikes in Syria and its occupation of areas near the Golan Heights, including Mount Hermon.

Speaking in the country's parliament, Van Baarle condemned Israel's strikes on Syrian military assets, which have targeted equipment and infrastructure linked to Bashar al-Assad's regime.

He labelled Israel's actions as violations of international law and called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Golan Heights, asserting that any opposition to this position would be an endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government and its expansionist policies.

The Syrian Civil Defence, better known as the White Helmets, has pledged to hold ousted President Bashar al-Assad accountable for the crimes and human rights violations committed during his regime's 14-year rule.

In a video posted on X, Raed al-Saleh, head of the White Helmets, addressed the victims' families and survivors outside the Palace of Justice in Damascus, reiterating his commitment to justice.

"Today, I promise you from in front of the Palace of Justice, not from anywhere else, to work with all legal institutions to hold the head of the regime accountable after all these violations," Saleh declared.

Assad, now in Russia after fleeing Syria amid advancing opposition forces, has faced widespread condemnation for his regime’s brutal actions.

A Russian cargo plane has departed from the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, Syria, en route to Libya, a Syrian security official outside the facility told Reuters.

The official indicated that additional Russian departures from the airbase were anticipated in the coming days.

On Friday, satellite imagery revealed Russian military equipment being moved at the base, with two Antonov AN-124 cargo planes visible, Reuters reported.

The activity underscored ongoing Russian logistical operations in the region, raising questions about Moscow’s intentions and its broader involvement in both Syria and Libya amid regional tensions.

The UN's humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, has expressed alarm over the impact of Israeli air strikes on humanitarian operations and the growing atmosphere of fear among civilians.

In an exclusive interview with UN News, Abdelmoula outlined the deteriorating security situation in Syria and the challenges it poses for aid efforts.

• "In the northeast, there is ongoing conflict between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the so-called Syrian National Army, as well as battles involving HTS Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and the SDF in areas around Deir Ezzor. In the northwest, similar clashes persist," Abdelmoula said.

• He also noted that HTS forces now maintained order in areas they had taken over, replacing police from the previous regime. Despite the visible presence of armed groups, he acknowledged a fragile semblance of peace in some areas.

• Abdelmoula criticised Israel’s air strikes for creating barriers to humanitarian work. "While the UN and its assets may not have been direct targets, these raids prevent us from conducting normal humanitarian operations due to fears of being caught at the wrong time in the wrong place," he said, adding that the strikes had caused civilian casualties in the past.

• He underscored the need for the Israeli military to adhere to international humanitarian law, urging them to avoid actions that harmed civilians and disrupted aid delivery in an already volatile region

Good morning Middle East Eye readers, 

Here are some of the latest development concerning Syria:

• Heavy explosions shook Damascus on Friday night as Israeli air strikes targeted military installations in the city and its surrounding countryside, escalating an already volatile situation in the region
• Syria’s ambassador to the UN condemned the strikes in letters addressed to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing Israel of persistent aggression and violations of Syria’s sovereignty following the fall of the al-Assad regime
• Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler criticised the Israeli attacks, warning that they fuel instability and reflect an “occupying mindset”
• Reports have emerged of Russian forces withdrawing from Syria, with military convoys spotted heading from the southern region towards the Tartous military base in Latakia
• In Deir Ezzor, Raed al-Saleh, director of Syria’s Civil Defence organisation, reassured residents, promising that volunteers would soon arrive to provide assistance to those in need
• Meanwhile, Syria’s interim government transferred Travis Timmerman, a freed prisoner, to US forces. He was airlifted by helicopter to Jordan