The world reacts to the fall of Bashar al-Assad - some of the statements made so far

Syrian opposition fighters have declared that the country has been "liberated" after they captured the capital and announced that President Bashar al-Assad had left the capital to an unknown destination.

Celebrations broke out in Damascus and other parts of the country.

The progress of the opposition came after 13 years of brutal war, ending more than half a century of the rule of the al-Assad family, foreign media write, Telegraph reports.

Below are some of the reactions of world leaders:

Geir Pedersen, UN envoy to Syria

"What is important is that we are able to find a situation where there is a political way out of this. And this political way has to be very different from what it has been before, it has to be a process that is inclusive and where we really focus on the need for unity, stability, where Syria is able to restore the sovereignty of her and her territory. There are many wounds that need to be healed."

US President Joe Biden

"President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and are in constant contact with regional partners," the White House said in a statement.

Amichai Chikli, Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs

Chikli says opposition advances in Syria are "far from a cause for celebration" for his country, as he calls for renewed Israeli control of Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights and the establishment of a new defense line based on in 1974 the ceasefire line with Syria.

"Most of Syria is now under the control of organizations linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS)," he was quoted as saying.

Most of the Golan Heights region of Syria was occupied by Israel in 1967 and then annexed in 1981.

Moammar al-Eryani, Minister of Information of the internationally recognized government of Yemen

"The Yemenis, with their wisdom and resilience, are able to thwart the plans of Iran and its Houthi proxy to encroach on their land and interfere with their destiny, just as those plans failed in Syria and Lebanon," he wrote. he on social media platform X.

He added that "Iran's expansionist project, which used sectarian militias as tools to complete the Persian Crescent, to sow chaos, to undermine the sovereignty of states ... is collapsing."

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates

Gargash said that non-state actors should not be allowed to exploit political vacuums.

"The unfolding events in Syria are also a clear indication of political failure and the destructive nature of conflict and chaos," Gargash said at the Manama Dialogue security forum in the capital Bahrain.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani

"I am closely following the evolution of the situation in Syria. I am in constant contact with our embassy in Damascus and the Prime Minister's office. I have called an urgent meeting at 10:30 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", said Tajani in X.

The newly elected president of the USA, Donald Trump

In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said al-Assad had "fled his country" after losing Russia's support.

"Assad is gone. He has fled from his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was no longer interested in protecting him."

"There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where some 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead in a war that should never have started and could go on forever.

Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines

The Philippines calls on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and refrain from further violence to avoid further civilian casualties and deaths.

"We express concern regarding the situation of our Filipinos in Syria and advise them to take the necessary measures and stay in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Damascus." /Telegraph/