Turkey's top diplomat called Monday an "inclusive" new government in Syria after Islamist-led rebels toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad following a lightning advance.

"We expect international actors, especially the United Nations, to reach out to the Syrian people and support the establishment of an inclusive administration," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a speech to ambassadors in the Turkish capital.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was on Sunday forced to flee the country after rebels seized the capital Damascus, ending his 24-year rule. As the news broke about the rebels entering Damascus, speculation grew about the whereabouts of the 59-year-old leader, who had for years taken help from his allies like Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah to maintain his power.

India said Monday it is monitoring the situation in Syria and called on all stakeholders to "work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity" of the West Asian country.

In a brief statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the government said, "We advocate a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society."

China on Monday urged "relevant parties" in Syria to find "political resolution" as rebels take control of the country.

Our statement on developments in Syria:https://t.co/GDlVeR0GOU pic.twitter.com/bKYOvcfswg

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 9, 2024

The rebels in Syria fought against the Bashar al-Assad regime for 13 years but failed to dislodge him from power. And then in a lightning offensive that lasted less than 13 days, the five-decade rule of the Assad family was decimated and the President was forced to flee the country. Behind the rebels' shocking advance was careful planning, the changing power balance in the Middle East, and tacit backing from a key regional player.

Afghanistan Taliban congratulated the leadership of rebel group Hayat Tahrir as-Sham (HTS) in Syria which has overthrown the President Bashar al-Assad regime, and hoped for unified and stable system in the country

In a statement released on Sunday, Afghanistan expressed hope for a peaceful and unified transition towards a sovereign Islamic government that reflects the aspirations of the Syrian people.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) congratulates the leadership of Hayat Tahrir as-Sham (HTS) movement and the people of Syria on the recent advancements resulting in the removal of factor of conflict and instability, and the fall of the capital Damascus to the people of Syria under the leadership of HTS. We express hope that the remaining phases of the revolution will be managed in a way that secures a peaceful, unified and stable system," Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in the press statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil".

The US on Sunday struck dozens of the ISIS targets inside Syria, just hours after rebels seized the capital Damascus and forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia after 13 years of civil war and six decades of his family's autocratic rule.

As Bashar Al-Assad fled to Moscow, the looters started raiding the presidential palace and people took to the streets of Damascus to celebrate his demise. The Syrian president had tried to hang on until the bitter end, still desperately sending an SOS to anyone who would listen, including Donald Trump. The despot had run out of road. 

The world is still grasping the speed of events in recent days, and the collapse of a ruling dynasty that laid waste to the country during a catastrophic civil war.

Syria's rebel leader hailed a "historic" victory on Sunday from a landmark Damascus mosque after his Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group headed a lightning offensive, snatching the capital from government control in less than two weeks.

"This victory, my brothers, is historic for the region," HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, said in a speech at the Umayyad Mosque.

He also said the rebel takeover was also a victory "for the entire Islamic nation", in the video statement shared by rebels on Telegram.

The Indian embassy in war-torn Syria's capital Damascus continues to remain operational and is in touch with all Indian nationals, sources have said. All Indian nationals in Syria are safe and the embassy remains available to help them, sources said.

Greece's diplomats will leave the Damascus embassy on Monday over safety fears amid looting by Islamist-led rebels who seized the city from the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, the embassy head said.

"The situation here does not permit foreseeing that we can remain in relative safety... there are three Greek staff at the embassy and we will leave tomorrow," Damascus charge d'affaires Nikolaos Protonotarios said.

World powers vowed Sunday to work for stability in Syria and the surrounding region after Islamist-led rebels toppled its longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

The UN Security Council will convene on Monday afternoon for an emergency closed-door meeting regarding Syria in the aftermath of President Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country, reported AFP citing diplomatic sources.

The meeting was reportedly requested by Russia.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday said ousted Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad should be "held accountable" and called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country.

"The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria," he said.

Biden also warned that Washington would "remain vigilant" against the emergence of terrorist groups.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and family have landed in Moscow and have been granted asylum, Russia state media reported, hours after Islamist-led rebels took control of his country.

"Assad and members of his family have arrived in Moscow. Russia granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds," a Kremlin source told the TASS and Ria Novosti news agencies.