‘Extremely challenging’ transition of powerSyria’s armed opposition ultimately plans to form a government defined by institutions and a “council chosen by the people,” Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the militant figure driving the latest rebel swing, told CNN. He heads the dominant group in the coalition, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a former Al Qaeda affiliate. Jolani told CNN that abuse in prisons “were not done under our orders or directions” and HTS had already penalized the perpetrators. Thousands of people assembled at the foot of the main square in Damascus, where rebels ransacked Assad’s residence. Muhammad Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty ImagesAnd further afield, Syrian refugees forced to flee the war shared their hopes of returning to a peaceful country.

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