Two African states are frustrating Moscow's efforts to establish a stronger military presence in the continent following the fall of Assad.

The images show new activity at the Hmeimim Air Base over the past few days as Russia's military footprint in Syria remains in limbo.

Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to two US officials and a western official familiar with the intelligence.

Russia's military presence at two key bases in Syria fell into uncertainty after the Assad regime fell last weekend.

Israel said it had wiped out the vast majority of the Syrian military's assets, including huge chunks of its air-defense network.

The target was apparently a weapons depot, with the explosion so large it caused seismic equipment to log 3 on the Richter scale

Syria’s new transitional government says there is no place for Russian presence in Syria a week after the country’s long-time President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. The new government also says it is open to engage in contacts with all countries to pave Syria’s new future.

Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes late Sunday on military positions in Syria's Latakia and Tartus provinces, according to information from an aircraft observation post. The attacks targeted several key sites in western Syria, including military bases and ammunition depots.

Israeli military aircraft carried out a series of powerful airstrikes on military targets in the Syrian port city of Tartus, home to an important Russian naval base and ship repair facility, on the night of 15-16 December.

Russia’s intervention on behalf of former Syrian leader Bashar Assad once turned the tide of Syria's civil war

The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule.