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Syrian armed opposition leader arrives in Damascus

Earlier Syrian President Bashar Assad stepped down and fled the country

BEIRUT, December 8. /TASS/. Leader of Syria’s armed opposition Ajmde al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has arrived in Damascus, the command of the opposition united armed forces said.

Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates on November 27. By December 7, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On Sunday morning, they entered Damascus and government troops withdrew from the city. Following intra-Syrian talks, President Assad stepped down and fled the country.

Al-Sharaa is the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (outlawed in Russia), a coalition of Syrian Islamists formed on the basis of Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Rusia), which has seized power in Damascus.

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