Dec
15 (Reuters) - Qatar will reopen its embassy in Syria on Tuesday after
it was closed for more than 13 years, the Gulf country's foreign
ministry said on Sunday, a week after Bashar al-Assad was removed from
power.
Qatar's
embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its
ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's
regime on protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.
Doha
in recent years did not join efforts by several Arab countries to mend
relations with Assad's government and re-establish diplomatic relations
with Damascus.
A
lightning advance by rebels, lead by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
group - a former al Qaeda affiliate - led to the ouster of Assad on Dec.
8.
Qatar's
foreign ministry said in a statement its decision to reopen the embassy
reflects its support for the Syrian people and their "struggle to
attain their legitimate rights for a dignified life".
Reporting by Hatem Maher and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Ros Russell