Taliban urge smooth power shift after Assad's fall in Syria
The Taliban have expressed hope for "the transfer of power in accordance with the aspirations of the Syrian people". They congratulated the Syrian people and rebels after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
"We express hope that the remaining phases of the revolution will be managed in a way that secures a peaceful, unified and stable system," stated the Afghan foreign ministry in a declaration issued following the rebels' capture of Damascus and the overthrow of President Assad.
The fall of Assad: Rebels capture the Syrian capital
Syrian rebels announced early on Sunday morning the capture of the country's capital, Damascus, and the overthrow of Assad, who had held authoritarian rule over the country for 24 years.
This is the latest stage of the civil war that has been ongoing since 2011. Assad was supported in this conflict by Russia, Iran, and the Tehran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah. The Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who fled from Damascus, and members of his family are in Russia, where they have been granted political asylum, Reuters reported based on Russian media reports citing Kremlin sources.
