Japan pledges help, wishes freedom, prosperity for Syrian people

Japan on Monday pledged to help resolve the "crisis" in Syria and wished "freedom and prosperity" for the Syrian people, following the fall of the regime led by deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

"Japan will continue to work closely with the international community to help resolve the crisis in Syria and achieve peace and stability in the region over the longer term," the top government spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told reporters in Tokyo.

"We are monitoring developments in Syria with grave concern," Hayashi said according to the Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

After a period of relative calm, clashes between Assad regime forces and anti-regime groups reignited on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

Over 10 days, opposition forces launched a lightning offensive, capturing key cities and then, on Sunday, the capital Damascus. The rapid advance, supported by defecting military units, led to the collapse of the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war.

Assad and his family fled to Moscow where Russia granted them asylum.

"We strongly hope that the violence will end as soon as possible, and all Syrian people can enjoy freedom and prosperity while basic human rights are protected," Hayashi said.