DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)—A spectacular rebel push entered the capital on Sunday, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of absolute power but raising concerns about the future of the nation and the wider region, sending Syrians pouring into the streets as the sound of gunfire echoed with celebration.
In scenes reminiscent of the early days of the Arab Spring revolt, before a violent crackdown and the emergence of an insurgency sank the nation into a nearly 14-year civil war, happy crowds gathered in central squares of Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag.
Following the disappearance of President Bashar Assad and other high-ranking officials, others joyfully looted the presidential mansion and the Assad family home. Russia, a key ally, claimed that Assad had given orders to hand over control peacefully and had left the country following talks with opposition groups.
The largest rebel movement is led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaida commander who severed connections with the organization years ago and claims to support religious tolerance and pluralism. He is in a position to determine the future course of the nation.
Iran and its supporters, who have already been battered by more than a year of war with Israel, suffer a serious setback with the overthrow of Assad. Iran, which had firmly supported Assad during the civil war, asserted that Syrians should make their own decisions about their future free from damaging, forceful foreign interference.
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Meanwhile, Israeli troops have taken control of a 1974-era buffer zone in the Golan Heights, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after Syrian troops withdrew from their positions amid the most recent turmoil.
Now, the rebels must confront the difficult challenge of mending savage divisions in a nation torn apart by conflict and still divided among many armed groups. In the north, U.S.-allied Kurdish troops are engaged in combat with opposition militants backed by Turkey, while the Islamic State group remains active in some isolated regions.
Early on Sunday, a group of rebels released a video message on Syrian state television, claiming that Assad had been ousted and that all captives had been released. They urged citizens to protect the free Syrian state’s institutions. Later, the rebels said that Damascus would be under curfew from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The rebels claimed to have released inmates from the infamous Saydnaya jail, where human rights organizations claim thousands of people were murdered and tortured. Numerous female inmates, many of whom seemed astonished and perplexed, were allegedly freed by rebels smashing open cell doors in a video that went viral online. Among them, at least one tiny child was visible.
During his appearance on State TV later that day, rebel commander Anas Salkhadi made an effort to reassure Syria’s religious and ethnic minority by asserting that “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions.” Syria belongs to all sects, including Sunnis, Alawites, and Druze.
He went on to say, “We will not treat people the way the Assad family did.”
Celebrations across the capital
People from Damascus came together to worship in mosques and to rejoice in the squares while singing “God is great.” Additionally, some honked their automobile horns and screamed anti-Assad chants. Adolescent guys shot firearms into the air after picking up what seemed to be abandoned weapons by security personnel.
The Defense Ministry is located in the city center’s Umayyad Square, which was crowded with revelers. Some of the guys brandished the three-star Syrian flag, which was adopted by the rebels and predates the Assad regime, while others fired celebratory gunshots into the air.
“I have no words to describe how happy I am,” Bassam Masr stated. But until I see my son leave prison and find out where he is, this happiness won’t be full. I’ve spent the last two hours looking for him. He has spent 13 years in custody.
Looters burst into the Defense Ministry, and police and soldiers fled their posts. Families were seen going into the presidential palace in videos from Damascus, with some of them coming out with piles of dishes and other domestic goods.
The traditionally pro-government Syria’s al-Watan newspaper stated: “We are facing a new page for Syria.” We give thanks to God that there isn’t more bloodshed. Syria will be for all Syrians, we trust and believe.
The journal went on to claim that media professionals shouldn’t be held accountable for past government pronouncements, stating: We simply followed their instructions and published the material they supplied us.
The Alawite sect, which Assad is a member of and which has made up the majority of his supporters, issued a statement urging young Syrians to remain composed, sensible, and cautious and to avoid getting involved in issues that threaten our nation’s unity.
The Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizeable Druze, Christian, and Kurdish groups, is the primary source of the insurgents.
Assad s whereabouts are unknown
In a video statement, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali stated that the government was prepared to reach out to the opposition and hand over its operations to a transitional administration. He was escorted by a group of armed men from his office to the Four Seasons hotel on Sunday, according to a video posted on Syrian opposition media.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ Rami Abdurrahman told The Associated Press that Assad flew from Damascus on Sunday.
At a meeting in Bahrain, a top official from the United Arab Emirates, which has welcomed prominent exiles in recent years and worked to repair Assad’s reputation, refused to comment on his location.
Anwar Gargash compared the lengthy exile of German Kaiser Wilhelm II following World War I to Assad’s current destination, saying it is a footnote in history.
Assad has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity throughout the conflict, including an attack using chemical weapons on the capital’s outskirts in 2013.
Iran, which has been Assad’s strongest ally, did not immediately respond. After seemingly being abandoned, the Iranian Embassy in Damascus was looted.
Calls for an orderly transition
The towns of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs fell in a matter of days as the Syrian army disintegrated, marking the biggest advances in recent memory since November 27. As they struggled with other wars, Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group—which had been Assad’s most important ally during the uprising—forsook him in the closing days.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, is in charge of the rebels. It was founded by al-Qaida and is regarded by the US and the UN as a terrorist organization.
Al-Golani, its leader, has worked to reposition the organization as a force that is accepting and moderate. In 2017, HTS established a salvation government to rule over a sizable portion of northwest Syria.
According to Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and an authority on Syrian organizations, Golani has created history and inspired hope among millions of Syrians. However, he and the rebels now have a difficult task ahead of them. All one can do is hope they can handle the situation.
In order to guarantee a smooth political transition, Geir Pedersen, the U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, urged for immediate negotiations in Geneva on Saturday.
An emergency conference of foreign ministers and senior officials from eight nations with stakes in Syria was held late Saturday in the Gulf republic of Qatar, a major regional mediator. Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran were among the participants.
The spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, Majed al-Ansari, told reporters that stability and a safe transition are the top priorities and that all parties involved, including the HTS, must be involved.
Netanyahu said that Israel had taken control of the buffer zone for its own defense and that the 1974 accord dividing Syrian and Israeli forces in the Golan Heights had broken down, causing Syrian soldiers to flee their positions.
According to the IDF, the deployment was made to protect the people who live in the Golan Heights, which Israel has annexed. With the exception of the US, the world community considers the region to be occupied, having been taken by Israel during the 1967 Mideast War.
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