Following the ouster of the authoritarian regime of President Bashar al-Assad in conflict-hit Syria on December 8, 2024, after a 12-day-long offensive, Syrian fighters appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as the country’s caretaker prime minister.

In a televised statement, Bashir announced that his term as the leader of the transitional government in Syria would last until March 1, 2025.

On December 8, Syrian rebels announced on state television that they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad, ending a 50-year family dynasty in a rapid offensive. The offensive was being led by Abu Mohammed al-Julani, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most powerful armed opposition group in Syria.

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Who is Mohammad al-Bashir?

40-something-year-old al-Bashir has a very close nexus with Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), the outfit responsible for the takeover of Damascus. He also leads their Idlib-based Salvation Government.

In 1983, Bashir was born in Idlib's Jabal al-Zawiya. The area in recent times has been widely controlled by the Islamist group HTS and allied factions.

As per reports, Bashir pursued electrical and electronic engineering at Aleppo University and Islamic and civil law at Idlib University. Previously, he worked for Syria’s state gas company.

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About the 'Salvation Government'

The 'Salvation Government' is a self-styled administration system established by the Islamic outfit Hayat Tahrir al-Shams. The system encompasses its own ministries, departments, judicial, and security authorities.

It was founded in the year of 2027 in Idlib in 2017 in a bid to provide assistance to people in rebel-held areas who are detached from state-run services.

Recently, the administration began extending its assistance to Aleppo, the first major city to fall from government control.