Syria Curfew in Damascus is lifted

The curfew imposed in the Syrian capital Damascus after the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad is to be lifted.

The leader of the leading rebel group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced on Telegram that people were being asked to return to work to help rebuild the new Syria.

Following the fall of Assad on Sunday, the rebels had imposed a curfew for the evening and night hours. According to eyewitnesses, Damascus is slowly getting back to normal. Stores are open again, reported a dpa reporter on the ground. Only a few armed fighters can still be seen in the city.

HTS leader: no mercy for torturers

Al-Sharaa, who previously went by his combat name Abu Mohammed al-Julani, also called on other states to extradite "criminals" who have fled to Syria. "Those who were involved in the torture and killing of prisoners will not be pardoned," declared Al Sharaa.

Following the insurgents' lightning offensive, thousands of prisoners were released. Most of them were systematically tortured for years. In the notorious Saidnaya military prison north of Damascus alone, up to 100 people were executed and then burned in ovens every day during Assad's rule, according to activists.