Civil war in Syria: Rebels conquer Damascus – Assad fled

Change of power in Syria, plagued by dictatorship and civil war: An Islamist rebel group has driven out President Bashar al-Assad, a brutal ruler in the Middle East. According to information from Moscow, he and his family found accommodation in Russia.

Russian State Agency: Assad and family in Moscow

“Russia granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds,” the agency quoted a Kremlin official as saying. Details were initially not known. Russia repeatedly grants refuge to deposed presidents and rulers.

The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously announced that Assad had resigned from his post in Syria and left the country to allow for a peaceful transfer of power. “Russia did not take part in these negotiations. At the same time, we strongly appeal to all parties involved to refrain from the use of force and to resolve all governance issues through political means.”

The USA and EU classify HTS as a terrorist organization

The Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leads the rebel alliance. Haiat Tahrir al-Sham roughly means organization for the liberation of (Greater) Syria. Some of these Islamists have contacts with the Turkish military and militias close to Turkey.

The European Union and the USA classify HTS as a terrorist organization. It is unclear who will govern the divided country in the future and whether Syria will find a united path to democracy.

Millions of refugees hope

The fall of Assad gives millions of refugees hope of being able to return home. In total, almost 14 million people have been displaced, 7.2 million of whom are on the run within their own country. Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq have taken in the most refugees. Around 700,000 Syrians live as refugees or asylum seekers in Germany.

Scholz, the USA and the EU welcome the end of Assad’s rule

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) called the end of Al-Assad’s rule good news. He brutally oppressed his people and killed countless people. “The Syrian people have experienced terrible suffering,” said the Chancellor. The new EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also welcomed the fall.

Thousands celebrate in Germany

In Berlin alone, thousands celebrated the fall of Al-Assad. For example, according to the police, around 5,000 people gathered at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg in the afternoon. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the police counted more than 15,000 people at rallies in several cities.

13 years of civil war until the fall of Assad

Al-Assad has ruled since the death of his dictatorial father Hafez in 2000. There were protests against him during the Arab Spring in 2011. The violent suppression of the protests developed into a civil war, which Assad only ended with military help from Russia Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia survived politically.

The rebel group began the offensive against government troops on November 27th. They reached the capital on December 7th. Eyewitnesses reported that many Syrian soldiers took off their uniforms and offered little resistance. The army leadership finally declared Assad’s government over and sent the soldiers home.

Rebels: “The end of this dark era”

“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, who ruled the country for more than 50 years.

The rebels imposed a curfew in Damascus that began at 4 p.m. local time (2 p.m. CET) and is scheduled to end at 5 a.m. (3 a.m. CET) on Monday morning.

Is Abu Mohammed al-Julani the new strongman?

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.

Years ago, the USA put a bounty of ten million US dollars (around 9.5 million euros) on the former extremist’s head. Meanwhile, 42-year-old Al-Julani, whose real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, is moderate.

Opposition activists freed from notorious Saidnaya prison

The rebels released many of those imprisoned under Assad. According to their own statements, they stormed the notorious Saidnaya military prison north of Damascus, where, among other things, political prisoners were held. Because of the brutality of the prison, it was nicknamed the “slaughterhouse” among Syrians.

Cheers broke out in central Damascus after Assad’s escape. Residents clapped on the street and some could be seen praying, eyewitnesses reported. Videos of residents climbing onto a tank and singing celebratory chants made the rounds on social networks. The US broadcaster CNN reported that people had looted Al-Assad’s palaces.

Biden: The extraordinary events are being closely monitored

The White House said US President Joe Biden was closely monitoring events and was 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 because that was not their fight.

Netanyahu: Historic day

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a “historic day in the history of the Middle East.” During a visit to the occupied Golan Heights, Netanyahu said: “The Assad regime is a central part of Iran’s axis of evil – this regime has fallen.”

Russia: Are in contact with rebel groups

The Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow said it was in contact with the rebels. It said there is currently no threat to its military bases. Russia has been providing military support to Assad since 2015.

Russia maintains an air base in Syria and a naval base with warships in the Mediterranean port of Tartus. For Russia, its presence there is strategically important because of its access to the Mediterranean.

Iran hopes for continued good relations with Syria

Iran is one of Assad’s closest allies but wants to accept the decision of the Syrian people, the State Department said. Insurgents stormed the Iranian embassy in Damascus and vandalized it, according to Iranian media reports. However, all diplomats and staff have already left the embassy, ​​according to the Foreign Ministry in Tehran.