Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had toppled “tyrant” Bashar al-Assad after 24 years of dictatorial rule, in their first announcement on state television since a lightning strike that stunned the world.
Syria’s army command also informed officers on Sunday that Assad’s regime had ended, a Syrian officer briefed on the move told Reuters.
But the Syrian army later said it was continuing operations against “terrorist groups” in the main cities of Hama and Homs and the countryside of Deira.
Assad, who has cracked down on dissent, left Damascus on Sunday for an undisclosed destination, two senior military officers said. ReutersAs the rebels said, they entered the capital without deploying troops.
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the release of our prisoners and the release of their chains and the end of the cycle of injustice in Saidnaya prison,” the rebels said, referring to a large military prison on the outskirts of Damascus. Thousands were detained.
Witnesses said thousands of people in cars and on foot gathered in a central square in Damascus, chanting “freedom” from half a century of rule by the Assad family.
Dramatically, the collapse marks a seismic moment for the Middle East, ending the dynasty’s iron rule over Syria and dealing a crushing blow to Russia and Iran, who have lost a key ally at the heart of the region.
The pace of events has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability.
It is a turning point for Syria, which has been torn apart by more than 13 years of war that has reduced cities to rubble, killed hundreds of thousands of people, and driven millions abroad as refugees. What is forced?
Consolidating the held western areas of Syria will be key to the rebel advance. Western governments, which have shunned the Assad-led state for years, must decide how to deal with a new administration that includes the influence of the internationally designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). There is influence.
HTS, which spearheaded rebel advances in western Syria, was formerly an al-Qaeda affiliate known as the al-Nusra Front, until its leader Abu Muhammad al-Golani severed ties with the global movement in 2016. Took
“The real question is how orderly the transition will be, and it seems very clear that Golani is very eager for it to be an orderly one,” said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and the Center for Middle East Studies at the university. said the director. of Oklahoma.
Golani does not want a repeat of the chaos that engulfed Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. “They have to rebuild. […] They will need Europe and the United States to lift the sanctions,” Landis said.
The HTS is Syria’s most powerful rebel group, and some Syrians fear it will impose harsh rule or provoke reprisals.
According to data from the FlightReader website, the Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport when it was reported that the capital had been taken by rebels.
The plane initially flew towards the Syrian coast, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then made a sudden U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing from the map.
Reuters could not immediately determine who was on board.
Two Syrian sources said it is highly likely that Assad was killed in a plane crash because it is a mystery why the plane made a sudden U-turn and disappeared from the map, according to data from the FlightReader website. done
“It disappeared from the radar, possibly the transponder was off, but I believe the more likely possibility is that the plane was shot down…” a Syrian source said without elaborating.
As Syrians cheered, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said he was ready to support the continuity of rule and to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the Syrian people.
The White House said US President Joe Biden and his team were monitoring “unusual events in Syria” and were in contact with regional partners.
Syria’s civil war, which began as an uprising against the rule of Bashar al-Assad in 2011, has drawn in major outside powers, created space for militants to plan attacks around the world and displaced millions of refugees. Sent to neighboring states.
The front lines of Syria’s complex civil war had been dormant for years. Then once an al-Qaida-affiliated group suddenly burst into action, it posed the biggest challenge to Assad, who had survived years of brutal war and international isolation with the help of Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
But Assad’s allies were focused on other crises and weakened, leaving Assad at the mercy of his opponents with an army unprepared to defend him.
After the army withdrew from the central city, thousands of Homs residents took to the streets, dancing and chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad”.
Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, whose territorial control has been eroded by a week-long army retreat.
The fall of Homs gave the rebels control of Syria’s strategic center and a key highway junction, which separates Damascus from the coastal region that is a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and an air base. There is a base.
The capture of Homs is also a powerful symbol of the rebel movement’s dramatic comeback. Swat in Homs was destroyed years ago in a fierce siege war between rebels and the army. The battle ground below the rebels, who were forced out.
The rebels freed thousands of prisoners from the city jail. The security forces hurriedly left after burning their documents.
Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said on X on Sunday: “We are witnessing a historic moment in Syria when the dictatorial regime in Damascus is falling. This change is a step towards building a new Syria based on democracy and justice.” provides opportunities, which ensure the rights of all Syrians.