Damascus, 6 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The leader of the Syrian rebel alliance, Abu Mohamed al-Joulani, has said that their goal is to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and form a new government.

"The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it," al-Joulani told the US broadcaster CNN. The Iranians and Russians had tried to revive it but he said, "The truth remains: this regime is dead.”

Al-Joulani said he plans to establish a system of government in Syria based on institutions, not one in which a single ruler makes what he called arbitrary decisions.

Al-Joulani is the leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group which led a surprise offensive against al-Assad's forces last week, reigniting Syria's civil war after years of deadlock.

The rebel alliance has since taken control of Aleppo, the country's second largest city. In addition to more than 200 villages and positions, they also recently took Hama.

The next target is Homs, which is located around 40 kilometres to the south. It is the country's third-largest city and an important hub on the way to Damascus, the Mediterranean coast and Lebanon.

MIA file photo