Rebels hail end of Assad rule in Syria
Before the announcements, Damascus residents had described a state of panic as traffic jams clogged the city centre, with people seeking supplies and queueing to withdraw money. But on Sunday morning saw chants and cheering, with celebratory gunfire and shouts of "Syria is ours and not the Assad family's"
Published: 04:12 PM,Dec 08,2024 | EDITED : 08:12 PM,Dec 08,2024
People celebrate at Umayyad Square in Damascus. — AFP
DAMASCUS: Rebels took Damascus on Sunday after a lightning offensive, sending President Bashar al Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath party rule in Syria. Residents in the capital were seen cheering in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of Assad, saying: 'We declare the city of Damascus free.' Images from Damascus showed rebels firing into the air at sunrise, with some flashing the victory sign and crying. Some people climbed atop a tank in celebration, while others battered a toppled statue of Assad's father, Hafez. 'I can't believe I'm living this moment,' tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha said by phone. 'We've been waiting a longtime for this day,' he said, adding: 'We are starting a new history for Syria.'
Assad's reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning offensive. 'After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement... we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria,' the rebel factions said on Telegram. Prime Minister Mohammed al Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with 'any leadership chosen by the Syrian people'.
The head of war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, said: 'Assad left Syria via Damascus international airport before the army security forces left' the facility. HTS said their fighters broke into a jail on the outskirts of Damascus, announcing an 'end of the era in the prison of Sednaya', which has become a by-word for the darkest abuses. The rapid developments came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs.
Homs is about 140 kilometres from the capital and was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27, reigniting a years-long war that had become largely dormant. US President Joe Biden was keeping a close eye on the 'extraordinary events' unfolding in Syria, the White House said.
The Britain-based Observatory confirmed 'the doors of the infamous 'Sednaya' prison... have been opened for thousands of detainees who were imprisoned by the security apparatus throughout the regime's rule'. Assad's government had previously denied the army had withdrawn from areas around Damascus. Reports that Assad had fled were followed by the premier saying he was ready to 'cooperate' with a new leadership and any handover. 'This country can be a normal country that builds good relations with its neighbours and the world... but this issue is up to any leadership chosen by the Syrian people,' Jalali said in a speech broadcast on his Facebook account.
Before the announcements, Damascus residents had described a state of panic as traffic jams clogged the city centre, with people seeking supplies and queueing to withdraw money. But Sunday morning saw chants and cheering, with celebratory gunfire and shouts of 'Syria is ours and not the Assad family's'. At the dawn call to prayer, some mosques broadcast religious chants usually reserved for festive occasions, while also urging residents to stay at home. Before the rebels entered Damascus, the alliance had wrested control of Aleppo, Hama and also Homs, known during the early years of the civil war as the 'capital of the revolution'.
The commander of Syria's US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed 'historic' moments with the fall of Assad's 'authoritarian regime'. Jordan had urged its citizens to leave neighbouring Syria 'as soon as possible', as have the United States and Assad ally Russia, which both keep troops in Syria. An Iraqi security source said on Saturday Baghdad had allowed in hundreds of Syrian soldiers who 'fled the front lines' through the Al Qaim border crossing. Iraq on Sunday evacuated its embassy staff to Lebanon, a diplomatic source said. Since the offensive began, at least 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed, the Observatory said. The United Nations said the violence has displaced 370,000 people.
Assad's reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning offensive. 'After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement... we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria,' the rebel factions said on Telegram. Prime Minister Mohammed al Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with 'any leadership chosen by the Syrian people'.
The head of war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, said: 'Assad left Syria via Damascus international airport before the army security forces left' the facility. HTS said their fighters broke into a jail on the outskirts of Damascus, announcing an 'end of the era in the prison of Sednaya', which has become a by-word for the darkest abuses. The rapid developments came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs.
Homs is about 140 kilometres from the capital and was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27, reigniting a years-long war that had become largely dormant. US President Joe Biden was keeping a close eye on the 'extraordinary events' unfolding in Syria, the White House said.
The Britain-based Observatory confirmed 'the doors of the infamous 'Sednaya' prison... have been opened for thousands of detainees who were imprisoned by the security apparatus throughout the regime's rule'. Assad's government had previously denied the army had withdrawn from areas around Damascus. Reports that Assad had fled were followed by the premier saying he was ready to 'cooperate' with a new leadership and any handover. 'This country can be a normal country that builds good relations with its neighbours and the world... but this issue is up to any leadership chosen by the Syrian people,' Jalali said in a speech broadcast on his Facebook account.
Before the announcements, Damascus residents had described a state of panic as traffic jams clogged the city centre, with people seeking supplies and queueing to withdraw money. But Sunday morning saw chants and cheering, with celebratory gunfire and shouts of 'Syria is ours and not the Assad family's'. At the dawn call to prayer, some mosques broadcast religious chants usually reserved for festive occasions, while also urging residents to stay at home. Before the rebels entered Damascus, the alliance had wrested control of Aleppo, Hama and also Homs, known during the early years of the civil war as the 'capital of the revolution'.
The commander of Syria's US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed 'historic' moments with the fall of Assad's 'authoritarian regime'. Jordan had urged its citizens to leave neighbouring Syria 'as soon as possible', as have the United States and Assad ally Russia, which both keep troops in Syria. An Iraqi security source said on Saturday Baghdad had allowed in hundreds of Syrian soldiers who 'fled the front lines' through the Al Qaim border crossing. Iraq on Sunday evacuated its embassy staff to Lebanon, a diplomatic source said. Since the offensive began, at least 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed, the Observatory said. The United Nations said the violence has displaced 370,000 people.