RABAT, December 24. /TASS/. Syria’s transitional Interior Ministry has called on members of the regime of deposed President Bashar Assad to immediately hand over their weapons to the relevant agencies.

"As part of ongoing efforts to ensure security and stability across the country, we urge members of the former regime and citizens who have come across weapons left behind by the ousted regime in various areas to promptly hand them over to the relevant authorities," the SANA news agency quoted the statement as saying.

According to transitional Interior Minister Mohamed Abdel Rahman, the government has set a deadline for the handover of weapons held by members of the former regime and the public. "If the weapons are not returned to the authorities before the specified deadline, the competent bodies will take deterrent legal measures against those in possession of them," he stated, without disclosing the exact deadline.

The minister emphasized that these measures are part of efforts to "strengthen national security and ensure the safety of citizens, as well as protect public and private property." He called on civilians to "comply with the instructions and directives of the authorities to avoid legal consequences."

In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus. Bashar Assad resigned as Syrian president and fled the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.