Under Mr Assad Syria sank from middle-income status to abject poverty. Women saw branches off trees for heating. Children scavenge in dumpsters for food. Men pull copper wire from buildings and telecoms cables to sell. The government is broke and banks are running out of cash. “The economy is tanking,” says one of Mr Sharaa’s advisers.

A complete power outage hit Latakia province in western Syria near the Mediterrean following damage caused by attacks from remnants of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

Two days of fighting along the Mediterranean coast were among the bloodiest battles since rebels ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad.