Damascus falls, Bashar al Assad flees: Syrian Opposition
The Syrian Opposition fighters early in the morning Sunday December 08, 2024 claimed they have captured the capital, Damascus, and end of Assad's brutal regime
[Damascus residents chanted, ‘Freedom, freedom’ as they took to the streets (Louai Beshara/AFP)]
Damascus: The Syrian Opposition fighters early in the morning Sunday December 08, 2024 claimed they have captured the capital, Damascus, and end of Assad's brutal regime.
The a coalition of Syrian opposition groups called the Military Operations Command led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army (SNA) also said Bashar al Assad fled the country.
Opposition takes control of airport
Moments before the opposition fighters took control of the airport, open-source flight trackers recorded a single plane in Syria’s airspace, accodring to Al Jazeera.
An Illyushin76 aircraft with flight number Syrian Air 9218 was the last flight to take off from Damascus.
First, it flew east, then it turned north.
A few minutes later, its signal disappeared as it circled over Homs.
[The statue of Syria’s late president Hafez al-Assad was toppled as opposition fighters arrived in Damascus on Sunday December 08, 2024.]
Earlier in the night, the opposition groups had captured Homs – the third largest city of Syria, in a lightning offensive.
The opposition fighters had started surrounding Damascus Saturday night, announcing they were only "kilometers away from the capital".
In the latest military offensive which began on November 27, 2024, the opposition fighters had captured Aleppo, Hama and Daara along with Homs on their march to capital Damascus.
Bashar al Assad's wife and children had reportedly fled to Russia days after the opposition forces captured Aleppo. Assad's three brothers-in-law too fled Syria and moved to the UAE, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Assad Regime in Syria - Timeline
Bashar al Assad is President of Syria since 2000. He became president after the death of Hafez al Assad in June 2000.
Assad family is in power in Syria since 1971. But, protests against the brutal regime started and took turn into a civil war in 2011.
A ceasefire between the opposition fighters and Syrian security forces was established in February 2016 but clashes continued.
On November 27, 2024, a coalition of Syrian opposition groups called the Military Operations Command led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive against the pro-government Syrian Arab Army (SAA) forces and in lightning speed captured Aleppo, Hama, Homs and now closing in on capital Damascus.
"Preparations wer on since the last five years to capture and finally declare victory over the al Assad regime", HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani, born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, said.
U.S. President elect Donald Trump commenting on the latest development in Syria said "this in not his county's war" asking the outgoing administration not to get involved in what he said "the conflict between Syria, Russia and Iran".
"I am hereby demanding that the US do NOT get involved in the conflict between Syria, Russia and Iran. This is not our fight, we should not send one penny to Damascus or any other party involved. We cannot let the warmongers in the White House succeed in starting World War 3!", he wrote on social media platform X.
Celebrations in Syria, abroad
Meanwhile, celebrations have begun all around the fallen cities after the opposition fighters declared victory and end of over 50-years of Assad family’s brutal regime.
Millions of Syrians who had been forcibly displaced outside the country have taken to social media to celebrate the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s decades’ long rule over the country on 8 December, according to BBC.
“Oh God, I cannot stop crying. I am imagining the day I go back,” Human Rights Activist Rima Flihan writes on her Facebook page.
Syria has seen the world’s largest refugee crisis, according to the UNHCR. The organisation estimates that around 6.6 million Syrians were forced to flee their homes since 2011.
“How lonely is this feeling of happiness when we are all scattered [across the world]”, one user on Facebook posted.
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