Syrian rebels oust Assad regime, seize Damascus power
On Sunday, December 8, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fell. After 24 years of his rule, rebel opposition forces took power. They entered the palace and the dictator's private residence, which was filled with luxury while people lived on the brink of poverty.
On Sunday, Syrian rebels announced in a televised statement the liberation of Damascus and the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad after his 24-year reign. They captured the country's capital following a week-and-a-half long offensive. The most powerful armed force of the opposition is the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The leader of this group is Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani. As reported by Al Jazeera, al-Jawlani was born in 1982 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer. The family returned to Syria in 1989 and settled near Damascus. Before attempting to seize power in the country as the commander of the terrorist group HTS, al-Jolani collaborated with high-ranking leaders of ISIS and Al Qaeda.
Has Syria been liberated?
According to Al Jazeera, there isn't much traffic on the streets of Damascus. Shops are closed, and people are still a bit apprehensive about what will happen next. Over the past 13 years, thousands of Syrians have left their country. The overthrow of the regime offers them a chance to return home and have a better life.
Some residents of Damascus celebrated on Sunday and chanted for the liberation of the country from Assad's regime, who had left. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that Syrian leader Assad had left the country and received an order for a peaceful transfer of power.
The rebels entered government buildings and the dictator's palace. According to video reports published on social media, Syrians are moving all valuables out of the palace.
Not only was the president's palace plundered, but also Assad's private residence. In 2022, the U.S. State Department estimated the official wealth of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and eight members of his family between one and two billion dollars (1,4-2,8 billion Canadian dollars).
"Assad’s palace is exactly the pompous monstrosity in marble which we expected, while the rest of the country primarily lived with one dollar a day," wrote a user on the X platform.
Joy in Syria, curfew in Damascus
The opposition freed the military prison in the town of Saidnaya, located about 16 kilometres north of Damascus, where thousands of Assad regime opponents were held. A curfew was announced in the capital from 11:00 AM to midnight ET.
The week-and-a-half long battles are the most serious clashes in Syria since 2020 when a freeze was enacted on the front line in the ongoing civil war since 2011. Assad's regime managed to regain control over most of the country's territory, largely thanks to the support of Russia and Iran. At least half a million people have died in the conflict.
