Syria's Islamist rebel leader on Tuesday vowed to pursue former senior government officials responsible for torture and war crimes, a day after he began talks on the transfer of power following President Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
Assad fled Syria as the Islamist-led opposition alliance swept into the capital Damascus, bringing a spectacular end on Sunday to five decades of brutal rule by his clan.
He oversaw a crackdown on a democracy movement that erupted in 2011, sparking a war that killed 500,000 people and forced half the country to flee their homes, millions of them finding refuge abroad.
"We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, security, and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people," rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, said Tuesday in a statement on Telegram.
"We will offer rewards to anyone who provides information about senior army and security officers involved in war crimes," he said, adding the incoming authorities would seek the return of officials who have fled abroad.
Sharaa held talks on Monday with outgoing prime minister Mohammed al-Jalali "to coordinate a transfer of power that guarantees the provision of services" to Syria's people, according to an earlier statement on Telegram.
AFP