Armed men move Syrian PM to hotel after Bashar al-Assad's fall; US worried about ISIS resurgence

The Syrian government collapsed early Sunday, falling to a lightning rebel offensive that seized control of the capital of Damascus.

Hours after Syrian rebels overthrew the Bashar al-Assad government, a purported video showed a group of armed men escorting Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali out of his office and to the Four Seasons hotel. Assad's whereabouts are unknown; however, some reports suggest he might have boarded a plane to flee the country.

People hold Syrian opposition and Lebanese flags as they celebrate, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, in Tripoli.(Reuters)

The Syrian government collapsed early Sunday, falling to a lightning rebel offensive that seized control of the capital of Damascus. With the unexpected reversal of fortune for Assad, the civil war in Syria, which destroyed the country's economy and forced millions to seek refuge in the West and neighbouring countries, will likely end.

Earlier today, PM Ghazi al-Jalali called for free elections. He added that he had been in contact with rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani to discuss managing the transitional period.

US to stay in Syria

The US said it would maintain its presence in eastern Syria and take measures to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro said on Sunday.

"We are aware that the chaotic and dynamic circumstances on the ground in Syria could give ISIS space to find the ability to become active, to plan external operations, and we're determined to work with those partners to continue to degrade their capabilities," he told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain's capital.

"(We're determined) to ensure (Islamic State's) enduring defeat, to ensure the secure detention of ISIS fighters and the repatriation of displaced persons," Shapiro added.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the rebel advances across western Syria, was formerly an al Qaeda affiliate known as the Nusra Front until its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, severed ties with the global jihadist movement in 2016.

Iran, meanwhile, said its embassy in Syria was attacked by "unknown individuals".

"Unknown individuals have attacked the Iranian embassy, as you can see in these images, shared by various networks," a state TV broadcaster said.

Where is Bashar al-Assad?

Reuters reported citing two senior army officers that Bashar al-Assad had boarded a plane in Damascus for an unknown destination early on Sunday. However, his whereabouts now - and those of his wife Asma and their two children - remain unknown.

Two Syrian sources said there was a very high probability that Assad may have been killed if he was on the plane, as it took a surprise U-turn and disappeared off the map.

With inputs from AFP, Reuters, AP