THOUSANDS of Syrians gathered in the capital Damascus today in rallies called by its new rulers to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad, as the United States and Turkey “broadly agreed” on their plans for the country.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met allies in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq to shape the transition of Syria’s leadership, calling for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government.

After talks with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Mr Blinken said there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the US on what they would like to see in Syria.

Mr Fidan said the priority was “establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that Islamic State and the Kurdistan Workers Party aren’t dominant.”

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has ruled Idlib since 2017 under Turkish protection and swept to power last weekend, claims it has broken ties with its extremist past linked to al-Qaida and its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani), invited the public to “show their happiness” at Damascus’s squares.

Huge crowds, including some insurgent fighters, packed the capital’s historic Umayyad Mosque in the old city for Friday prayers.

Many waved the opposition flag — with its three red stars — which has replaced the Assad-era flag with its two green stars.

In Damascus’s biggest roundabout, the Umayyad Square, thousands of people gathered with their families and children.

One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine, who was originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted, said he hoped for “freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shi’ites and Druze.”

Many religious minorities have fled to Lebanon in recent days fearing reprisals from the HTS.

Samira Baba, who is among those fleeing with her children, said she received threats over social media.

She told Reuters: “The rebels in charge haven’t openly threatened us, so it could be other factions or individuals.

“We just don’t know. But we know it’s time to leave.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that he instructed armed forces to be prepared to stay on Mount Hermon in the buffer zone between his country and Syria through winter.

Israel has moved ground forces east from the occupied Golan Heights into the buffer zone and across the border with Syria since the insurgence, bombing various sites to gain further control.