What's happened
Syrians are celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government after a rebel coalition seized control of Damascus. Mohammed al-Bashir has been appointed interim leader, tasked with overseeing a peaceful transition. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified military actions in Syria, targeting remnants of Assad's regime.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Holly Patrick from The Independent, the fall of Assad's regime has been met with celebrations in Syria, with al-Bashir stating, 'Today we held a cabinet meeting that included a team from the Salvation government.' Meanwhile, SBS reports that Israel has intensified military operations, with Prime Minister Netanyahu asserting, 'We have no intention of interfering in Syria's internal affairs, but we clearly intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security.' This highlights the complex interplay of local and international interests following Assad's ousting.
How we got here
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, was fueled by Assad's violent response to pro-democracy protests. After 13 years of conflict, a coalition of rebel forces successfully ousted Assad, who fled to Russia, marking a significant shift in the country's political landscape.
More on these topics
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Bashar Hafez al-Assad is a Syrian politician who has been the President of Syria since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and Regional Secretary of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party's branch in Syria.
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Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.
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Damascus; Arabic: دمشق, romanized: Dimašq, Syrian Arabic: is the capital of Syria; it is also the country's largest city, following the decline in population of Aleppo due to the battle for the city.