Civil war in Syria: Rebels take control of Damascus – Assad flees

The rebels in Syria say they have taken control of the capital Damascus, signaling the end of more than two decades of rule by ruler Bashar al-Assad. Assad left the capital early in the morning for an unknown destination, as the German Press Agency learned, citing Syrian officers in Damascus. Meanwhile, the rebels entered Damascus and announced the liberation of the city from Assad. The rebel alliance announced that it wanted to take power peacefully.

On November 27th, the civil war in Syria, which began in 2011, suddenly flared up again with the offensive of the Islamist alliance Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Within a short time, the insurgents took control of many places, including Aleppo and Hama, largely without a fight. It was only on Saturday that the rebels took over the strategically important city of Homs. At the same time, various other rebel groups advanced from the south towards Damascus. The rebels are united by the goal of wanting to overthrow Assad.

According to their leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the rebel alliance wants to take power peacefully. Public facilities in Damascus “will remain under the supervision of the former prime minister until the official handover,” Al-Julani said on social media. Military forces are strictly forbidden from approaching these facilities and are not allowed to fire shots.

Rebels: “The end of this dark era”

After Assad’s escape, the rebel alliance announced the overthrow of his government. “The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled,” the rebels said on social media. “We announce that the capital Damascus has been liberated (from him).” December 8 marks “the end of this dark era” of oppression under Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad, who ruled the country for more than 50 years.

“This is the moment that the displaced and the prisoners have long been waiting for, the moment of homecoming and the moment of freedom after decades of oppression and suffering.” Addressing the millions of refugees displaced by the civil war, the insurgents declared: “To the displaced worldwide, a free Syria awaits you.”

Prime Minister wants to cooperate

According to his own statements, Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali remained in the country and wants to cooperate with a change of power. “We are ready to hand over (power) to the elected leadership,” Al-Jalali said in a video message that he said he recorded at his home. The people must decide on this leadership. “We are ready to work even with the opposition.”

He called on citizens to cooperate with ongoing developments and not to damage public property. Syria could be a “normal state” with friendly relations with its neighbors. He himself has no interest in any political office or other privileges. “We believe that Syria belongs to all Syrians.”

Cheers broke out in central Damascus after Assad’s escape. Residents clapped on the street and some were seen praying, eyewitnesses said. Videos of residents climbing onto a tank and singing celebratory chants made the rounds on social networks. According to videos, there were also cheers and chants during the night in the metropolis of Istanbul in neighboring Türkiye, where more than three million Syrians live. Some set off fireworks there.

Loud explosions in Damascus

The insurgents launched their offensive on Damascus early Sunday morning. A dpa correspondent on site reported loud explosions and heavy machine gun fire. According to eyewitnesses, soldiers from the presidential guard left the capital. The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel-Rahman, said security personnel and the army had withdrawn from Damascus International Airport. According to their own statements, the rebels also broke into a notorious prison and freed prisoners.

Residents in Damascus are reportedly fearful of the rebels’ arrival. Well-informed sources said many families had already left their homes and traveled to Lebanon.

Various media outlets had previously reported that Syrian soldiers were leaving the country in droves. Iraq has welcomed more than 1,000 soldiers from the neighboring country, the state news agency INA reported. The Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera quoted an Iraqi government spokesman as saying that 2,000 Syrian soldiers had already come to Iraq with full equipment.

The capture of Homs is considered a turning point

The rebels’ capture of Homs on Saturday was seen as a crucial turning point: Syria’s third-largest city is located between Aleppo in the north and Damascus in the south. It is also in a strategically important position between the coastal strongholds of Assad’s government and Damascus. Latakia and Tartus are also the strongholds of government troops on the coast. There is also a Syrian Navy base near Tartus, which also houses a Russian Army base. Along with Iran, Russia is Assad’s closest state ally.

The civil war in Syria began in 2011 with anti-government protests. The spiral of violence resulted in a civil war with international involvement in which Russia, Iran, Turkey and the USA pursued their own interests. Around 14 million people were displaced. According to UN estimates, more than 300,000 civilians have died so far. A political solution was not apparent until recently.

Assad took power in Syria more than two decades ago at the age of 34, after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled the country authoritarianly for decades. At first, Assad, who had studied in England, raised hopes of a new course. But the initial euphoria of the so-called “Damascene Spring,” which briefly allowed for more open discussions, soon gave way to the return of authoritarian repression.

Biden: The extraordinary events are being closely monitored

The White House said US President Joe Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and are in constant contact with regional partners. US President-elect Donald Trump had previously made it clear that he did not want the US to interfere in any way in the crisis in Syria.

Israel is increasing its troops in the Golan Heights

Syria’s neighboring country Israel is arming itself in the face of the advance of the rebels, who have also occupied several places near the border with Israel. The Israeli army also increased its troops on the annexed Golan Heights in the border region with Syria. According to Israeli reports, gunmen attacked a United Nations position in Syria near the Israeli border. Israel’s army said it supported the peacekeepers in repelling the attack.