Beirut: The Assad family’s 50-year rule came to an unexpected end early Sunday morning as rebels entered the Syrian capital Damascus and President Bashar al-Assad fled the country. Afterwards, people took to the streets to celebrate. Syrian state television broadcast a video statement in which a group of people could be seen saying President Bashar al-Assad had been ousted and all prison inmates had been released.
Assad has left the capital
Rami Abdelrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took off from Damascus early Sunday. Residents of the capital heard gunshots and explosions. Iranian state television has been a major backer of Assad during the war in Syria, and Assad has reportedly left the capital. The TV channel cited Qatar’s Al Jazeera News Network as reporting the information, but did not provide any details.
people gather together to celebrate
On Sunday morning, crowds of Syrians gathered in Damascus squares to celebrate, chanting anti-Assad slogans and honking car horns. Guns were fired in celebration in some areas. Soldiers and police fled their posts and rebels entered the Defense Ministry headquarters.
People celebrate after Bashar Assad’s rule ends in Syria
What do local residents say?
“I can’t express how I feel,” said Omar Daher, a 29-year-old lawyer and local resident. I can’t believe that he (Assad) and his father forced us to live in a state of terror and terror for many years. Daher said his father was killed, as was his brother. He was detained by the forces and it was unclear what happened to him. He said Assad was “a criminal, a dictator and an animal.” , Ghazal Sharif, another man in central Damascus, said: “Shame on the president and the entire Assad family. ”
Police headquarters is deserted
An Associated Press reporter in Damascus said he saw groups of armed residents on roadsides on the outskirts of the capital and heard gunshots. The city’s main police headquarters appeared deserted, with the doors open and no police officers outside. Another AP reporter captured footage of an abandoned military post where uniforms could be seen lying on the ground beneath a poster of Assad. The sound of “Allah-hu-Akbar” was heard in the mosque. This is the first time since 2018 that rebels have entered Damascus territory.
People celebrate after Bashar Assad’s rule ends in Syria
Keep your distance from those close to Assad’s government
The Syrian army recaptured the suburbs of the capital in 2018 after years of siege. Pro-government Sham FM radio station said Damascus airport had been evacuated and all flights had been stopped. The rebels also announced they had entered the Saidnaya military prison north of the capital and released prisoners. Meanwhile, groups previously close to Assad’s government have tried to distance themselves from them.
Media personnel are not at fault
“We are witnessing the beginning of a new chapter in Syria,” wrote the pro-government newspaper El Pais. “We thank God that no more blood was shed.” We believe, and we are confident, that Syria will belong to all Syrians. The newspaper also said media personnel should not be blamed for publishing government statements in the past. “We were just following instructions and publishing the news they sent us,” she said. It soon became apparent that it was a lie.
People celebrate after Bashar Assad’s rule ends in Syria
price increased
A local resident told The Associated Press that many shops in the capital were closed and those that were open were sold out of essential items such as sugar. Some store owners are selling items at three times the normal price. The United Nations said it would send non-critical staff out of the country as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, newly elected US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States should avoid military action in Syria. “This is not our fight,” he posted on social media.
Also know
The Syrian rebel offensive began on November 27, with gunmen capturing Aleppo, the largest city in northern Syria, and Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Syria’s civil war has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s population. As the rebellion turned into a civil war, millions of Syrians fled across the border to Jordan, Türkiye, Iraq and Lebanon, as well as Europe. (Associated Press)
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