TUNIS, December 11. /TASS/. The new Syrian authorities will evaluate the future of Russia’s military bases in the Arab republic from the viewpoint of the benefits and interests of the Syrian people, Mohammed Alloush, a prominent Syrian politician and former head of the opposition delegation at the Syria talks in Geneva and Astana, told a TASS correspondent.
"The issue of military bases is a sovereign decision of the Syrian state. It will undoubtedly be assessed based on the benefits and interests of the Syrian people, as well as Russia’s interests," he stated.
On December 9, a source informed TASS that the Syrian armed opposition had gained full control of the Latakia province, which hosts Russian military bases. According to the source, armed groups entered the territories of Tartus and Jableh following the opposition’s announcement of the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, the source noted that opposition forces did not breach Russia’s bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Moscow is taking steps to ensure the security of Russian military bases in Syria. He noted that necessary contacts are being established to this end, and the military is implementing all required security measures.
Mohammed Alloush is a founding member of the Jaysh al-Islam coalition, where he served as the leader of its political wing. In 2016, he was appointed chief negotiator for the opposition during the Syrian peace talks in Geneva. In 2017, he headed the Syrian opposition delegation at the Astana meeting.
On November 27, members of armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against government forces' positions in Aleppo and Idlib governorates. By the evening of December 7, opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad had captured several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa, and Homs. They entered Damascus on December 8, after which Syrian army units withdrew from the city. The head of the Syrian government, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, expressed his readiness for a peaceful transfer of power in the country. Assad left office and fled the state. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir announced his appointment as head of the Syrian transitional government.