Islamist rebels from the HTS group have captured Damascus, the capital of Syria on Sunday while the whereabouts of Bashar al-Assad are currently unknown.
The HTS first, seized Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, last week. Then Hama, and days later, the key hub of Homs. In a matter of hours, they entered Damascus.
Rebel fighters could be seen on the grounds of the Syrian presidential palace on Sunday, CNN reports. The rebels also said they’ve taken control of the notorious Saydnaya Military Prison north of Damascus.
“Damascus has been liberated and the tyrant Bashar al-Assad has been overthrown, and oppressed prisoners in regime prisons have been released,” a spokesperson said, reading from a statement surrounded by roughly a dozen other rebels, on state television on Sunday.
People celebrated in the streets of Damascus after Syria’s rebels entered the city, toppling the Assad regime and declaring Syria free.
Syria’s al-Assad boards plane to unknown destination
The Reuters news agency, citing senior army officers, reported in the early hours of this morning that al-Assad had boarded a plane and left to an unknown destination.
An active search is underway for Assad, according to a source familiar with the rebels’ operations. The Syrian leader has not been seen or heard from publicly since rebels entered the capital early on Sunday morning.
US President-elect Donald Trump says al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia. “Assad is gone,” he said on his Truth Social platform. “His protector, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.”
Bashar al-Assad came to power in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, who ruled the country for 29 years – and very much like his son, with an iron fist. He inherited a tightly controlled and repressive political structure. At first, there were hopes that he could be different – more open, less brutal. But those were short-lived.
Assad will forever be remembered as the man who brutally repressed peaceful protests against his regime in 2011, leading to a civil war. More than half a million people were killed; six million others became refugees, the BBC notes.
What happens to Syria now?
Many people are happy to see him go. But there are concerns about what happens next. The HTS group has its roots in al-Qaeda and a violent past. They have spent recent years trying to rebrand themselves as a nationalist force, and their recent messages have a diplomatic and conciliatory tone.
But many are not convinced and fear what they might be planning to do. Already al-Qaeda is urging the rebels to turn on ‘Jews and Crusaders’ (their term for all Christians).
Syria has many minorities, and those who are not Sunni Muslims, as the rebels are, have good reason to fear for their future.
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