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Former Assad security forces surrender weapons to Syrian rebels - CNN

Former Assad security forces surrender weapons to Syrian rebels - CNN Photo: Assad security forces are massively disarmed (Getty Images)
Author: Bohdan Babaiev

In Latakia, a city in southern Syria, former officials of Bashar al-Assad's regime are surrendering their weapons to the transitional government led by rebel forces. Similar disarmament initiatives are underway in other cities across the country, reports CNN.

Earlier this week, AFP captured footage in Latakia showing long lines of men in civilian clothing waiting to hand over their personal firearms to officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Syria's new government.

The footage shows government officials engaging informally with the men and photographing them as they surrender their weapons. Hundreds of firearms and ammunition of various types can be seen in the corners of the government office.

This process comes as the new Syrian leadership, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, works toward a peaceful transition of power and seeks international legitimacy.

After receiving the firearms, the new authorities issued temporary identification documents to former Assad regime personnel. These documents allow them to move freely across Syria’s "liberated" territories until a "legal procedure" is completed. A notice posted near the government office, visible in the AFP footage, provides this information but offers no details about the legal process.

Syrian state media reports that similar weapon-return programs have been implemented in other cities, including Daraa.

The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have established contact with the rebel groups governing the country, alongside Qatar and Türkiye.

Fall of Assad's regime in Syria

In November, fierce clashes erupted between rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and forces of the Syrian National Army, as well as Bashar al-Assad's regime troops.

By mid-December, fighters from the Islamist group captured key Syrian cities, including the capital, Damascus. Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, where Vladimir Putin granted him asylum.

On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir was appointed Syria's caretaker prime minister. He will lead the transitional government until March 1, 2025.

According to the latest estimates by the UN Human Rights Office, more than 306,000 civilians were killed in Syria between the start of the civil war in 2011 and March 2021.