Anti-government and jihadist fighters overthrowing President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria have ensured security for Russian military bases and Russian diplomatic facilities in the country, a Kremlin source told TASS news agency.
Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) and the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) attacked the capital Damascus on December 7, as the Syrian army retreated and Mr Assad fled the country to seek refuge in Russia.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former al-Qaeda commander, declared victory in a December 8 TV speech, saying, "the future is ours."
Speaking to Russia's TASS news agency late on December 8, an unnamed Kremlin source said that Russian officials "are in contact with representatives of the Syrian armed opposition".
These representatives has provided security for Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions on Syrian territory, the source said, adding that we hope to continue political dialogue for the benefit of the Syrian people and develop bilateral relations between Russia and Syria.
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015, helping President Assad regain control of the country from the group of the self-proclaimed Islamic State of IS and a series of foreign-funded militia and jihadist groups.
This time, Moscow did not deploy forces to stop the HTS and FSA attack. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Mr. Assad had decided to peacefully give up power after secret negotiations with a number of opposition groups. The ministry also noted that Russia does not participate in these negotiations.
Russia began building the Khmeimim air base near Latakia shortly after supporting Mr Assad in 2015. Since then, the Russian air force has used the facility to conduct strikes against IS and other terrorist groups in Syria, as well as to transport supplies and weapons into the country.
Khmeimim Air Force Station is located about 60 km from Russia's Tartus naval facility, built by the Soviet Union in 1971. Russia signed a 50-year lease on the facility in 2017, giving Moscow full sovereignty over the base and allowing the Russian Navy to station up to 11 ships there.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that both facilities were placed under high alert conditions during the rebel advance on Damascus, but "there is currently no serious threat to the security of the bases".
