In a remarkable turn of events, the Syrian capital of Damascus witnessed an outpouring of jubilant citizens on Sunday, as the Assad regime's five-decade-long reign was abruptly ended by a swift rebel advance.
This unexpected development has sparked questions about the future trajectory of Syria and the broader region.
According to ABC News, the scenes of celebration in the central squares of Damascus were reminiscent of the early days of the Arab Spring uprising. This was before the country was plunged into a nearly 14-year-long civil war due to a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency. The presidential palace and residence were ransacked by ecstatic citizens following the mysterious disappearance of President Bashar Assad and other top officials. Russia, a close ally of the Assad regime, confirmed that Assad had left the country after negotiating with rebel groups and had instructed a peaceful transfer of power.
The largest rebel faction is led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaida commander who has since distanced himself from the group and now advocates for pluralism and religious tolerance. Al-Golani, who now goes by his birth name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made his first public appearance since the rebels entered the Damascus suburbs on Saturday. At the capital's sprawling Umayyad Mosque, he declared Assad's fall as a victory to the Islamic nation and accused Assad of turning Syria into a farm for Irans greed.
The rebels now face the monumental task of mending the deep divisions in a country devastated by war and still divided among various armed factions. Opposition fighters backed by Turkey are currently engaged in combat with U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, while the Islamic State group remains active in some remote areas.
Syrian state television aired a video statement early Sunday by a group of rebels announcing the overthrow of Assad and the release of all prisoners. They urged the people to preserve the institutions of the free Syrian state. A curfew in Damascus was later announced by the rebels, effective from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The rebels claimed to have liberated individuals held at the infamous Saydnaya prison, notorious for the alleged torture and killing of thousands, according to rights groups. A video circulating online purportedly shows rebels freeing dozens of female prisoners, many of whom appeared shocked and confused. A small child was also seen among them.
Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi, appearing on state TV later in the day, sought to reassure Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, stating: Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects. He further promised a departure from the oppressive practices of the Assad family.
The capital's residents gathered in mosques and squares to pray and celebrate, chanting God is great and anti-Assad slogans. Teenagers were seen firing into the air with weapons apparently discarded by security forces. Umayyad Square, home to the Defense Ministry, was filled with revelers firing celebratory gunshots and waving the three-starred Syrian flag, a symbol of the revolutionaries that predates the Assad government.
Bassam Masr, a resident of Damascus, expressed his joy but noted that his happiness would not be complete until he could see his son, who had been detained for 13 years, released from prison. Soldiers and police abandoned their posts, and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Videos showed families wandering into the presidential palace, with some emerging carrying stacks of plates and other household items.
The Alawite sect, to which Assad belongs and which has formed the core of his base, issued a statement calling on young Syrians to remain calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali stated in a video that the government was ready to extend its hand to the opposition and transfer its functions to a transitional government. A video shared on Syrian opposition media showed a group of armed men escorting him out of his office and to the Four Seasons hotel on Sunday.
The end of Assads rule is a significant setback for Iran and its allies, who are already weakened by over a year of conflict with Israel. Iran, which had strongly backed Assad throughout the civil war, said Syrians should decide their future without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.
The rebels are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, which has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Its leader, al-Golani, has sought to recast the group as a moderate and tolerant force. HTS set up a salvation government in 2017 to administer a large region in northwestern Syria under its control.
The U.N.s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an orderly political transition. The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday. The participants included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Turkey.
The swift rebel advance since November 27, which saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs fall in a matter of days as the Syrian army melted away, marks a significant shift in the Syrian conflict. Russia, Iran, and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which provided crucial support to Assad throughout the uprising, abandoned him in the final days as they reeled from other conflicts. This development underscores the unpredictable and volatile nature of the region's political landscape.
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