BEIRUT, December 9. /TASS/. A curfew has been imposed in the Syrian capital of Damascus and the cities of Latakia and Tartus, the Al-Watan newspaper reports.
According to the paper, the decision was made by the "command" of armed opposition units.
The curfew will be in effect between 5:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. local time (2:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. GMT). Violators will face a month in prison. An exception will be made for health workers, rescuers and firefighters, as well as for members of defense and security agencies.
The new authorities have called on the Syrian people "to cooperate and report curfew violations."
On November 27, Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on the positions of government forces in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. By the evening of December 7, President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered the Syrian capital, Damascus, while the army withdrew from the city. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement, Syrian President Bashar Assad stepped down and left the country, handing down instructions to ensure a peaceful transition of power.