Kurdish-led rebels claimed to have stormed Damascus on Sunday and forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee, declaring the end of five decades of Baath rule in Syria. In the Syrian capital Damascus, rebel groups were seen celebrating victory in the streets, announcing the departure of President Assad and saying, “We have declared the city of Damascus free.”
In images taken by AFP TV from Damascus, rebels can be seen firing into the air at sunrise, some waving victory signs and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or God is great. The pictures show some people climbing onto an armored military vehicle to celebrate, while others are seen lying on a fallen statue of Assad’s father, Hafez, taking pictures.
“I can’t believe I’m witnessing this moment,” Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. “We have been waiting for this day for a long time,” he said. “We are beginning to write a new history for Syria.” The president’s alleged departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group launched its campaign challenging the Assad family’s five-decade rule.
“After 50 years of oppression under the Baath regime, 13 years of crimes and atrocities and (forced) displacement, we today announce the end of this dark time and the beginning of a new era for Syria,” the rebel group said in a telegram. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali has said he is ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the Syrian people.
“President Assad has left Syria via Damascus International Airport,” Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP. A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that fighters from President Assad’s main ally had abandoned their positions around Damascus.
According to HTS, its fighters declared the “end of the era of tyranny” in the Sednaya prison on the outskirts of the capital, which was seen by rebels as the most extreme torture prison of President Assad’s era. Meanwhile, the White House has said that US President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the “extraordinary events” taking place in Syria.
Assad flee
Recent reports indicate that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country following a rapid offensive by an Islamist-led rebel coalition. The rebels, primarily led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have reportedly entered Damascus after capturing key cities, including Homs. They declared Assad’s rule over via state television and announced plans to maintain public order under interim leadership. Assad’s current whereabouts remain unknown as the situation unfolds.
Syrian rebels are a diverse group originating from within Syria, composed of various factions with differing goals and ideologies. These include secular groups, democratic opposition movements, and Islamist factions like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Some were formed by former Syrian army soldiers who defected, while others emerged from grassroots local uprisings. Over time, foreign fighters and regional actors, including groups from neighboring countries, have joined or supported rebel factions, adding to their complexity and shifting allegiances.
