Israel has carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons and long-range missile sites in Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists.

It has also reportedly taken over an inland buffer zone following the withdrawal of Syrian troops.

Sources told Reuters that several Israeli strikes targeted air bases.

Two Syrian security sources said dozens of helicopters and planes were destroyed and much of the infrastructure at the bases was damaged.

In Syria at the latest, the prime minister agrees to hand over power to rebels

Qamishli air base in the northeast Syriathe Shinshar base in rural Homs and Aqrba airport southwest of the capital Damascus were all hit, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the former Syrian prime minister said he had agreed to hand over power to the rebel group that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Speaking to Al Arabiya TV, Mohammed Jalali said he made the agreement with the so-called “salvation government”.

Jalali said Sunday he would remain in the country and oversee the transition of power, which he said he wanted to be peaceful.

Following Assad’s ouster from power, further details of his regime’s brutality have emerged.

Dr. Reem Alkasem told The world with Yalda Hakim about three prisoners she had treated in Idlib.

She said one was a 20-year-old man who had been incarcerated for five years and had “suffered from asthma, cough, fever and skin infections.”

He “had severe wounds to the skin of his back and arms” and “suffered from mental confusion, severe depression and anxiety,” she added.

A second young man, 23 years old, had been incarcerated for four years and had “wrist injuries, wounds, broken bones, neck injuries and head injuries from long-term blows.”

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A 55-year-old man “suffered from fractures in the lower limbs, wounds in the back and soft tissue injuries due to the beating,” Dr. Alkasem added.

After his ordeal, he suffered from “mental confusion and anxiety” and also “suffered from breathing problems, weakness and cannot speak.”

The UN refugee chief had previously called for patience as millions consider whether to return to Syria after the end of the Assad regime.

“There is a remarkable opportunity for Syria to move toward peace and for its people to begin returning home,” Filippo Grandi said in a statement.

“But with the situation still uncertain, millions of refugees are carefully assessing how safe this is. Some are excited, others are hesitant.”

He called for “patience and vigilance” as refugees weigh their options.