DUBAI, December 12. /TASS/. The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, which ruled Syria for more than 60 years, announced that it was suspending its activities in the country, now controlled by the armed opposition.

The party’s ruling body said in a statement, published in its official newspaper, that "party work and activities in all forms and aspects should be paused until further notice."

Besides, the party made the decision to hand over its weapons, equipment and vehicles to the interior ministry of the interim government. Other property and financial assets will be controlled by the ministries of finance and justice. Incomes generated by these assets are to be deposited by the Central Bank of Syria.

The party’s ruling bodies will be disbanded, and its officials will have to return to their previous workplaces at "ministries, departments and governmental agencies."

A private university ran by Ba’ath will be transferred to the ministry of higher education.

On November 27, armed opposition forces launched a large-scale offensive against government troops' positions in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces. By the evening of December 7, they had captured the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Deraa, and Homs. On December 8, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s opponents entered Damascus, which Syrian army units withdrew from. Assad resigned as president of Syria and fled the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, former head of the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib province, announced his appointment as the head of the Syrian transitional government until March 1, 2025.