In a historic turn of events, Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday, bringing an abrupt end to President Bashar al-Assad’s 13-year rule and the six-decade-long dominance of the Assad family.
The lightning advance sent Assad fleeing to Russia, which granted him and his family asylum, according to Russian state media.
The collapse of Assad’s government marks a major geopolitical shift, diminishing the influence of Iran and Russia in the region while leaving Syria in the hands of a rebel coalition partly backed by Turkey.
For Syrians, the regime’s sudden fall brings the promise of an end to a devastating civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead, cities in ruins, and millions displaced across the Middle East and beyond.
In a jubilant speech at Damascus’s historic Umayyad Mosque, rebel leader Abu al-Golani declared the dawn of a new era, urging Syrians to rebuild their nation.
“How many people were displaced across the world? How many people lived in tents? How many drowned in the seas?” al-Golani told a huge crowd at the medieval Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus, referring to refugees who died trying to reach Europe, as reported by Reuters.
“A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory,” he said, adding that with hard work Syria would be “a beacon for the Islamic nation”.
The Assad regime’s notorious police state disintegrated overnight. Freed political prisoners poured out of jails, rejoicing in the streets. Residents walked freely into the presidential palace, with some leaving carrying furniture.
The fall of Assad, long supported by Moscow and Tehran, is a major blow to their strategic ambitions in the region, including Iran’s ability to arm its allies and Russia’s naval presence in the Mediterranean.
United States President Joe Biden welcomed Assad’s ouster but cautioned that it marked a moment of both opportunity and uncertainty.
