DAMASCUS, Dec 8:
On Sunday, Syrians took to the streets, greeted by celebratory gunfire, after a significant rebel advance reached the capital. This historic moment has ended the Assad family’s 50-year reign, although it raises concerns about the future stability of the nation and the wider region.
Joyous crowds filled central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag, reminiscent of the early days of the Arab Spring before the severe crackdown and subsequent insurgency plunged the nation into nearly 14 years of civil war.
Some jubilantly looted the presidential palace and Assad family residence after President Bashar Assad and other high-ranking officials disappeared, their locations unknown. Russia, a close ally, reported that Assad fled the country following negotiations with rebel factions and had issued instructions for a peaceful transfer of power.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaeda leader who severed ties with the group years ago and advocates for pluralism and religious tolerance, heads the largest rebel faction and is now positioned to influence the country’s future direction.
The end of Assad’s regime represents a significant setback for Iran and its allies, who have already been weakened by over a year of conflict with Israel. The rebels are now tasked with bridging deep divides in a nation torn apart by war and still divided among various armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition forces are clashing with U.S.-aligned Kurdish groups in the north, while the Islamic State group remains active in some remote areas.
Syrian state television broadcast a video statement early Sunday featuring rebel groups declaring that Assad had been ousted and all detainees had been released. They urged citizens to uphold the institutions of “a free Syrian state.” The rebels subsequently implemented a curfew in Damascus from 4 PM to 5 AM.
They claimed to have liberated individuals from the infamous Saydnaya prison, where human rights organizations allege thousands were tortured and killed. A video circulating online allegedly showed rebels breaking open cell doors and releasing numerous female prisoners, many of whom appeared dazed and confused, with at least one small child among them.
Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi, who later appeared on state television, aimed to reassure Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, stating: “Syria belongs to everyone, without exception. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.”
“We will treat people differently than the Assad family did,” he added.
Celebrations filled the capital as residents of Damascus gathered for prayers in mosques and festivities in squares, chanting “God is great.” People also shouted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Young boys picked up weapons that seemingly had been abandoned by security forces and fired them into the air.
Revellers congregated in Umayyad Square in the city center, where the Defence Ministry is situated. Men shot celebratory gunfire into the air while others waved the three-starred Syrian flag, a symbol that predates the Assad government and was adopted by revolutionaries.
Soldiers and police abandoned their posts and fled, with looters breaching the Defence Ministry. Footage from Damascus depicted families entering the presidential palace, some emerging with armfuls of plates and other household goods.
“I stayed awake all night, refusing to sleep until I heard the news of his downfall,” shared Mohammed Amer Al-Oulabi, 44, an electricity sector worker. “From Idlib to Damascus, it took the opposition forces only a few days, thank God. May God bless these heroic individuals who have made us proud.”
Syria’s al-Watan newspaper, once supportive of the government, stated: “We are entering a new chapter for Syria. We are grateful to not have spilled more blood. We believe and trust that Syria will belong to all Syrians.”
The publication also declared that media personnel should not be held accountable for disseminating government statements in the past, stating: “We merely followed instructions and reported the news they provided.”
A statement from the Alawite sect—of which Assad is a member and which forms the core of his base—urged young Syrians to remain “calm, rational, and prudent, and not to be swept away by anything that could tear apart our nation’s unity.” Agencies
