News.com.au — Shannon Molloy — December 11, 2024

The entire Syrian navy has been decimated in an attack by Israel, with 80 per cent of the Assad regime's military destroyed in the past two days.

After two days of relentless bombing, Israel has destroyed Syria's entire navy and crippled the country's other key military assets.

The Israeli Defence Force has carried out 350 strikes of strategic targets since Saturday afternoon as Syrian opposition rebels seized control of Damascus and brought an end to the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad.

In an operation dubbed Bashan Arrow, the IDF first took out air defences before shifting focus to weapons stockpiles, armouries and missile production facilities in the capital as well as Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Plymyra.

Overnight, the Israeli Navy destroyed 15 vessels in ports on the coast, which formed virtually the entirety of Syria's naval force.

As a result of the two-day campaign, an estimated 80 per cent of the former regimes defence force capabilities have been destroyed, the IDF said, to keep it out of the hands of extremists.

Under Assad's rule, Syria became a key ally of Iran and a thoroughfare for weapons sent to terrorist groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel has said.

Its key concern since the fall of the regime has been that Syrian weapons could be seized by hostile forces in the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has extended a tentative olive branch to Syrian rebels, saying he would like to form relations with the new regime, while issuing a stern warning.

If this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us—we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it, Mr Netanyahu said in a video statement.

Rebels Appoint Interim PM

The group responsible for toppling the Assad regime, Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), has appointed a caretaker prime minister.

Mohamed al-Bashir will lead the country until at least next March, the group said, in a bid to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

In a televised address, Mr al-Bashir said his priority was to restore stability and calm and revealed he has met with members of the former Assad regime. The meeting was under the headline of transferring the files and institutions from the government of the ousted regime to the transitional government in order to receive these files and conduct business, he said.

This means that there will be a Syrian government that will handle these files and manage the business during a transitional period, God willing, that may end on March 1.

The end of the dictatorship might present an opportunity for the White House to find Tice or at least determine what happened to him, spokesperson John Kirby said.

Syrians Storm the Presidential Palace in Damascus

There we're jubilant scenes throughout the city as word spread, with...

What will happen to Assad now? Bashar al-Assad's net worth remains enormous, with the Damascus palace takeover revealing strings of luxury cars and designer goods.

Russia's Role in Assad Escape

The Kremlin arranged the secure transport of Assad and his family from Damascus to Moscow as the capital fell to rebel forces, Russia has confirmed.

The country's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was interviewed on NBC today, reiterating reports on Monday that Assad and his entourage had been granted asylum.

He is secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation, Ryabkov told the US news channel.

Russia had co-ordinated the escape of Assad and his family in the most secure way possible, he added.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed under the Assad regime's watch, including scores of political prisoners detained and imprisoned in barbaric jails.

Since Assad was deposed at the weekend, there have been renewed calls for the dictator to face trial at the International Criminal Court of Justice.

Asked whether Russia would hand him over, Ryabkov pointed out Russia is not a party to the court's convention. "I have no idea what is going on with him right now," Ryabkov said.