Tens of thousands of Syrians have converged at the landmark Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus to celebrate the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, as world leaders held meetings to discuss the challenges facing the war-torn country.
Friday’s celebration was called for by the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group Ahmed al-Sharaa – also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
HTS swept across the country and took the capital last week, removing al-Assad who fled to Russia and capping nearly 14 years of war.
The group, which was affiliated to al-Qaeda before breaking ties in 2016, is designated “a terrorist organisation” by many Western governments that now face the challenge of determining their approach.
In a meeting in Turkiye, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was “imperative” to work against a resurgence of …