Media: Former Syrian PM may lead transitional government

Former Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab may lead the country’s transitional government.

This move would allow the US to avoid direct engagement with military leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Mohammed al-Jolani. The US designates Mohammed al-Jolani as a terrorist, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Hijab, who previously served as Syria's prime minister in 2011 at the onset of the anti-Assad uprising, later fled to Jordan and joined the opposition after his defection.

Clashes between the forces of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and opposition armed groups began on November 27 in the rural areas of Aleppo province in northern Syria. 

The offensive progressed rapidly, with the rebels capturing city after city. On the morning of December 8, opposition forces entered Damascus without encountering any resistance. Two high-ranking Syrian officers said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had fled Damascus in an unknown direction. Russian officials have stated that President al-Assad allegedly left the country following negotiations and agreed to transfer power peacefully. 

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali expressed willingness to cooperate with any leadership chosen by people and readiness to engage in the transfer of power to a transitional government, which may include opposition representatives. On December 8, the information went viral that Bashar al-Assad, along with his family, had arrived in Moscow, where they were granted asylum.

By Naila Huseynova