Rebels claim victory in Damascus, Assad ousted in swift coup
Chaos in Syria continues. The rebels issued a televised statement announcing the liberation of Damascus and the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad after 24 years of his dictatorial rule. The rebels also announced the release of all prisoners.
The escalation in Syria has been ongoing since Sunday. At that time, the Syrian army's command reported that Assad's authoritarian rule had ended following the success of the rebels' swift offensive.
Opponents of Assad reported taking control of Damascus without encountering resistance from government forces. Earlier, there were reports that Bashar al-Assad had left the country's capital on a plane heading in an unknown direction. This information was confirmed in a conversation with the German agency DPA by Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) based in London.
The head of the Syrian government, Muhammad Gazi al-Jalali, expressed readiness in a special video message to peacefully transfer power while declaring his willingness to cooperate with any leader chosen by the people.
Rebellion in Syria. Fighting continues
The fighting, ongoing for a week and a half, is the most serious clash in Syria since 2020, when the front line was frozen in the civil war ongoing since 2011. Assad's regime managed at that time to regain control over most of the country's territory, largely thanks to support from Russia and Iran.
According to SOHR, over 800 people have been killed in the current phase of the conflict in Syria, including over 100 civilians. The UN reported 370,000 refugees. Since 2011, at least half a million people have died in Syria's civil war.
Source: PAP
