After Assad’s fall, hundreds of refugees line up at Turkish border to enter Syria

Hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey on Monday, eagerly anticipating their return home, following the fall of President Bashar Assad's government.

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Many arrived at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar border gates at daybreak, draped in blankets and coats. Some camped by border barriers, warming themselves with makeshift fires or resting on the cold ground.

Meanwhile, Syria’s PM said most cabinet ministers are still working from offices in Damascus after rebels entered the capital over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar Assad. But there were already signs of difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country.

Most shops and public institutions were closed, while some were still celebrating in public squares. Some key government services had shut down as workers ignored calls to return to their jobs, a UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid.

In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the US, a reminder that even after Assad’s departure to Russia, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past.

However, bringing hope for Syrian women, insurgents said they won’t impose any religious dress code on women and vowed to guarantee personal freedom for everyone.

Meanwhile, Israel said it is carrying out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapon sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the extremists’ hands.