Syria – latest: Race to free prisoners in underground cells after Assad regime fal

Russia will respond harshly if its bases in Syria are attacked, a senior Russian lawmaker said according to Interfax news agency.

It comes soon after a Russian lawmaker told Interfax that the security of Russia’s military bases in Syria is fully ensured and are not facing any issues.

The presence of Israeli forces in Syria is a temporary measure to ensure Israel’s security following the collapse of the Assad regime, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said on Monday.

“The only interest we have is the security of Israel,” Mr Saar told a news conference in Jerusalem.

Mr Saar also said Israel is remaining cautious in their expectations of the new Syrian regime, saying the rebel leaders have an extreme ideology. Minorities in Syria must be protected and all attacks on Kurds must end, he said.

Israel is determined to prevent the rearming of Hezbollah through Syria, Mr Saar added.

A Syrian revolutionary flag has been displayed in Syria’s embassy in Moscow, according to a Reuters news agency witness.

Images circulating online appear to show men on the balcony of the embassy unveiling the three-starred flag under which Syrian rebel groups fight. Russian state news agency TASS also reported that the flag had been unveiled.

Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow with family after rebel fighters entered unopposed into Damascus, ending six decades of rule by the Assad family, according to reports from Russian news agencies.

Russia, a close ally that has propped up the regime for years, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully.

Late on Sunday, Russian state media said Assad and his family had been granted asylum and were in Moscow.

The leading insurgents in Syria are Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist rebel group which is banned in the UK.

The Syrian civil defence group known as the White Helmets said it has deployed five emergency teams to Sednaya Prison to investigate hidden underground cells.

Families of detainees are anxiously waiting for news on news of loved ones as videos showed fighters freeing thousands from jails across the country.

The BBC reported authorities in Damascus said efforts were continuing to free prisoners, some of whom were “almost choking to death” due to the lack of ventilation in the cells.

In a statement posted to X, the White Helmets said: “The White Helmets has deployed 5 specialized emergency teams to Sednaya Prison to investigate hidden underground cells, reportedly holding detainees according to survivors.

“The teams consist of search and rescue units, wall-breaching specialists, iron door-opening crews, trained dog units, and medical responders.

“These teams are well trained and equipped to manage such complex operations. 2 teams arrived about an hour ago and have already begun their mission, accompanied by a guide familiar with the prison’s layout.

“The remaining teams are expected to arrive gradually, delayed by challenging security conditions on the roads and severe traffic congestion.”

The Assad regime’s brutal half-century-long grip on Syria has come to an end, in a stunning defeat by opposition insurgents who seized control of Damascus on Sunday after more than 13 years of civil war.

In extraordinary scenes, jubilant crowds took to the streets waving a revolutionary flag and shouting “Freedom”, as the capital was littered with the discarded uniforms of government forces.

Families of relatives left to rot for years in the regime’s notorious prisons waited anxiously for news of loved ones as videos showed fighters freeing thousands from jails across the country.

Read our story on the latest developments in Damascus here: