Syrian rebels topple Assad
AMMAN/BEIRUT/CAIRO—Syrian rebels declared President Bashar Assad’s ouster after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday, ending his family’s ironfisted rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.
The Islamist rebels also dealt a major blow to the influence of Russia and Iran in the region, key allies who propped up Assad during critical moments in the civil war.
Syria’s army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad’s regime had ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.
Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the rebels said, referring to a large jail on the outskirts of Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.
The Syrian rebel coalition said on Sunday it is continuing work to complete the transfer of power in Syria to a transitional governing body with full executive powers.
Shift in struggle
“The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people,” it added in a statement.
Thousands in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom” from a half century of Assad family rule, witnesses said.
The dramatic collapse also marks a dramatic moment for the Middle East, undermining Russia and Iran, which have lost a key ally at the heart of the region and creating more uncertainty as the Gaza war rages.
The pace of events has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability.
It marks a turning point for Syria, shattered by years of war which has turned cities to rubble, killed hundreds of thousands of people, and forced millions abroad as refugees.
Stabilizing western areas of Syria captured in the rebels’ advance will be key. Western governments, which have shunned the Assad-led state for years, must decide how to deal with a new administration in which a globally designated terrorist group—Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—looks set to have influence.
HTS, which spearheaded the rebel advances across western Syria, was formerly an al-Qaida affiliate known as the Nusra Front until its leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, severed ties with the global jihadist movement in 2016.
Strongest group
HTS is Syria’s strongest rebel group and some Syrians remain fearful it will impose draconian Islamist rule or instigate reprisals.
Countries like the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, both close US allies, see Islamist militant groups as an existential threat, so HTS may face resistance from regional powers.
In a conference in Manama, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the United Arab Emirates president, said a main concern for that country is “extremism and terrorism.”
A Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels, according to data from the Flightradar website.
The aircraft initially flew towards Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing off the map.
Reuters could not immediately ascertain who was on board.
As Syrians expressed joy, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said the country should have free elections so Syrians can choose who they want.
