Jubilation as thousands of Syrians attend first Friday prayers since Assad's fall
As Syria's new leader urged people to take part in what's being called 'Victory Day', thousands of people filled the streets of Damascus with a sense of optimism for the future.
Which direction the nation will head next, however, remains uncertain, with many feeling apprehension over the Islamist fighters who led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, ITV News Correspondent John Ray reports
Thousands of people filled the ancient Umayyad Mosque in Damascus for the first Friday prayers in half a century without the Assad family ruling over Syria.
After the sudden and rapid overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, there was a great sense of optimism among the crowds of people taking to the streets of Syria's capital, many of whom were waving their nation's new flag.
"In one week, the whole of Syria was freed, we really didn't expect this. Without any fight, they all surrendered, they were weak," one man told ITV News Correspondent John Ray.
"All the people are happy, you can see it easily," another said. "At every place, everywhere, the children, the elderly, everyone."
The newly installed interim prime minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, delivered the sermon at the mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria.
As Syria picks up the pieces of a bloody 13-year-long civil war, posters showing some of the tens of thousands of people still missing remained plastered to the walls of the mosque's grounds.
Having endured so much pain, the crowd in Damascus on Friday were filled with hope that they could now finally rebuild their country.
However, no one really knows in what direction Syria will head next, with many feeling a sense of trepidation over the Islamist fighters who led the charge against Assad's regime forces.
While Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, also known as HTS, has attempted to shake off its past associations with Al-Qaeda, not everyone is hopeful about life under the leadership of the Sunni militant organisation, particularly Syrian liberals and minority sects.
"God is in charge now," one fighter said.
Syria's rebel leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, now serving as the country's de facto head of state, has made attempts to present himself as more of a stateman – ditching his military fatigues along with his military name.
Now reverting to his legal name, Ahmed al-Sharaa struck a moderate tone as he called on the people of Syria to rebuild their country.
In a video message on Friday, he congratulated “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution”.“I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people,” he said.
“And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God.”
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday.
The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels.
While insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, HST is still labelled a terrorist group by the United States, the UK and other European countries.
Amid the jubilation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government.Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, US officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers.
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