The anti-government militants and jihadists who toppled Bashar Assad’s government in Syria have guaranteed the security of Russia’s military bases and diplomatic outposts in the country, a Kremlin source has said.
Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and US-armed Free Syrian Army militants stormed Damascus on Saturday, as the Syrian Army stood down and Assad left the country for asylum in Russia. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former al-Qaeda commander reportedly considered an “asset” by Washington, proclaimed victory in a televised statement on Sunday, declaring that “the future is ours.”
Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency later on Sunday, an unnamed Kremlin source said that Russian officials “are in contact with representatives of the armed Syrian opposition.”
These representatives “have guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions on Syrian territory,” the source said, adding that “we hope for the continuation of political dialogue in the name of the interests of the Syrian people and the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Syria.”
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