little bit from some syrian government officials right now, for example syrian prime minister mohammad ghazi al jalali just said the government stands ready to cooperate with any leadership. >> the people choose as part of a recorded message also that we are ready to cooperate with any leadership that people choose offering all possible support to ensure a smooth and systematic transition of government of government functions. preserving state facilities that's coming from the syrian prime minister to hear a statement like that, that we are willing to work with whatever happens, not blind fealty to to president bashar al-assad. i mean, what is the significance of a statement like that to you well, it's an olive branch, which is encouraging in this situation. >> i think it also reflects frankly, that those within the regime in these high positions of power have lost and so they have very little other option. but to issue that olive branch. there has also been or there have also been over the last week or so, uh, a surge of communication between the armed opposition groups, including hts and s

the country's prime minister, mohammad ghazi al—jalali, filmed a video statement in the past hour sayingwork with the opposition to facilitate a transition of power. despite the opposition�*s claims, it's not been confirmed that mr assad has fled syria. residents in the city say they are hearing gunfire and heavy fighting. opposition forces rapidly moved south towards damascus from aleppo and the key strategic crossroads of homs. the head of the rebel advance has said his forces have taken full control of homs in the last few hours. other opposition factions are converging on the capital from the south, having taken control of daraa province. there had been signs all saturday the government's control over damascus was slipping: this footage from the suburbs shows protesters toppling a statue of assad's late father, who founded the ruling dynasty. a few hours ago, our security correspondent, frank gardner, filed this report. they think they've won already. these are syrian rebels in the south of the country, in daraa, part of a pincer movement that is closing in on the capital, damascus.

. >>> mohammad ghazi al jalali has been speaking this morning. let's listen to what he had to say. >> translator: this country can be a ormal country, a country that builds good relations with its neighbors and with the word. without entry into any regional alliances. we're ready to cooperate with any new leadership and facilitate what they need so that there is government departments that can be transferred smoothly and systematically in a way that preserves the state facilities. >> security and defense editor deborah haines has the latest on the impact on the region. >> iran and russia were both absolutely instrumental in propping up the assad regime from 2011 when you'll remember the uprising, a peaceful uprising first began inside syria, calling for change, calling for an end to a regime that had ruled with such brutality for so long. even back then, it was part of the wider arab spring that started in tunisia. you saw it moving into egypt. and it exploded across libya and also in syria and yet in response to the uprising in syria, the assad

prime minister mohammad ghazi al-jalali said in a statement, i am here in my home, i have not left itful manner that ensures the continued functioning of public institutions and state facilities, promoting security and reassurance for our fellow citizens. i hope everyone will think rationally and consider their country. we extend our hand, even to the opponents, who have reached out and affirmed that they have not harmed any individual belonging to the syrian homeland. we believe that syria belongs to all syrians and to all its citizens, and that this country can be a normal state, one that builds good relations with its neighbors without entering into any regional alliances or blocks. this matter is left to any leadership chosen by the syrian people, and we are ready to cooperate with them by providing all possible facilitation. those are the latest scenes we are getting from central damascus, of people there chanting and cheering, moving gunshots into the air, as we have heard, two senior syrian officers have informed the news agency that president bashar al- assad has left damascus

i would also say while mohammad ghazi al jalali seems to have reinvented himself, there's bad individualsit is no longer affiliated with al qaeda but there are members of the turkish and islamic party, rebels and insurgents and terrorists from central asia, and this is part and parcel of this kind of quote unquote rebel group work this is all going to have to be sorted out as united states figures out how they deal with damascus going forward. >> amon, we have been focusing on syria moving forward and that makes sense at this moment. with respect to bashar al assad, where do you think the priority is in terms of apprehending him and trying to hold him to account for the various war crimes he has been charged with? he's been accused of abusing chemical weapons, on civilian. how much of that should be a concern right now and quite frankly, who leads the effort? >> you know, that is such a good question and again, you can look at the history of some of these arab states that have gone through similar days. you got tunisia, libya, egypt and lebanon. the president of tunisia bled and died in e

prime minister mohammad ghazi al-jalali has been speaking this morning. he says i am here in my home, i have not lifted and i do not intend to leave except in a peaceful manner that ensures the continued functioning of public institutions and state facilities, promoting security and assurance for our fellow citizens. he goes on to say i hope everyone will think rationally and consider their country. we extend our hand even to the opponents who have reached out and affirmed that they have not harmed any individual belonging to this syrian homeland. he goes on to say we believe that syrian -- syria belongs to all syrians and that all of its citizens in this country can be a normal state, one that builds good relations since -- with its neighbors without entering into alliances or blocks. this matter is left to any leadership chosen by the syrian people and we are ready to cooperate with them by providing all possible facilitation. joining me now from georgia, sonny mohammed, head of political risk at the international interest. great to have you with us. a

syria stability depends right now manwaring military clothing, mohammad ghazi al—jalali.eeting the interim prime minister to discuss the way forward. he succeeded in uniting rebel groups and capturing the whole country in under two weeks. he said rewards will be given for information on assad officials involved in war crimes. the us government said it was important syriansjoy government said it was important syrians joy was translated into effective governance and added this. there was no us involvement in what the rebel groups did over the course of the weekend in damascus. we were not involved in any way. we watched it unfold and very much the way you did. unfold and very much the way ou did. ~ . ., you did. meanwhile syrian refugees _ you did. meanwhile syrian refugees are _ you did. meanwhile syrian refugees are facing - you did. meanwhile syrian refugees are facing a - you did. meanwhile syrian - refugees are facing a dilemma of whether to return home. countries across europe including the uk are reassessing syrian refugee cases and looking to send some claimants bac

the prime minister, mohammad ghazi al—jalali, filmed a video statement in the past few hours saying hehe opposition to facilitate a transition of power. the rebel advance on damascus comes after they said they had "fully liberated" the city of homs. the rebel leader, abu mohammed al—jolani described the victory as a "historic moment". our correspondent barabara plett—usher has just managed to reached the syrian capital and sent this update. she was talking to my colleague lucy grey. iam in i am in damascus, iam in damascus, we i am in damascus, we have reached damascus, just coming into the city now. past a major army base and outside of it we saw men coming out and then walking down the road without uniform and our syrian guide said this has been going on, the soldiers are taking off their uniforms and just walking away. and in fact on the motorway you could see a or discarded clothing from the soldiers, army clothes. also tanks, military cars empty and left behind. a few people clambering over them. but mostly the rates were very quiet coming in. now that we're just driving in to dam

the country's prime minister, mohammad ghazi al—jalali, filmed a video statement in the past hour sayingwork with the opposition to facilitate a transition of power. despite the opposition�*s claims, it's not been confirmed that mr assad has fled syria. the rebel advance on damascus comes after they said they had fully liberated the city of homs. the rebel leader abu mohammed al—jolani described the victory as a historic moment. mohammad taha from bbc arabic has the latest. the statement that was issued by the syrian prime minister now that he is ready to co—operate with any force that would be elected or chosen by the syrian people, that particular statement means that all the reports we are talking about are fairly correct. that the syrian president, bashar al—assad, most probably has left the country and the opposition now is under control of damascus. this is a historic moment for the syrian people and the region. we saw the syrian president, bashar al—assad, defiant against the opposition for nearly 1a years while in this time there were many arab leaders who fell into what was call

mohammad ghazi aljalali has been replaced as prime minister, but he says he will still help with a smoothn of power. former assad loyalists and his once powerful ba'ath party now seemed to be closing ranks. mrjolani says the new government will benefit from the experience of those who served mr assad. in damascus, thousands of relatives of disappeared political detainees are flooding to the notorious saydayna prison, desperate for news of their loved ones. inside, volunteer rescue workers are trying to gain access to underground floors — where they believe more inmates are trapped — but have been unsuccessful. rebels freed thousands of people after toppling the assad regime on sunday — some emerged confused after decades in confinement. former prisoners have been giving horrific accounts of torture and killings at saydnaya, described as a human slaughterhouse by rights groups. the bbc�*s barbara plett usher was on the scene and sent this report. the saydnaya prison, a symbol of some of the darkest abuses of bashar al—assad's rule. thousands of opposition supporters were tortured and kille