Why Delhi is cautious

NEW LEADERS WILL FACE THE DAUNTING TASK OF TRYING TO DELIVER STABILITY; US SAYS IT WILL STAY PUT

- SHUBHAJIT ROY

SYRIAN REBELS DECLARED they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing him to flee and ending his family's decades of autocratic rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.

The Islamist rebels also dealt a major blow to the influence of Russia and Iran in Syria in the heart of the region - allies who had propped up Assad during critical periods in the conflict.

The rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. Leading rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani said there was no room for turning back and the group was determined to continue the path they started in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings.

When the celebrations fade, Syria's new leaders will face the daunting task of trying to deliver stability to a diverse country with competing factions that will need billions of dollars in aid and investments to rebuild.

One possible challenge could be a resurgence of Islamic State militants.

During its prime, the group imposed a reign of terror in large swathes of Syria and Iraq and directed external operations before it was defeated by a US-led coalition.