[Abu Muhammad Al Julani visiting the historic Citadel of Aleppo on December 04, 2024.]
Damascus: Syrians – both in Syria and abroad, are celebrating the fall of more than 50-year brutal regime of the Assad family came to end Sunday December 08, 2024.
The Assad family was ruling Syria since 1971 with Hafez al Assad at the helm of affairs till his death in 2000.
Hafez al Assad’s son Bashar al Assad took charge of Syria in June 2000 after his father’s death and remained in the office till today when the opposition coalition entered the capital Damascus.
Bashar al Assad fled the country hours before the opposition fighters led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Chief Abu Muhammad Al-Julani entered Damascus within days after capturing Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Dar’aa in quick succession and with lightning speed.
Syria was in turmoil since 2011 when the people rebelled against the brutal Assad regime. A ceasefire was announced in 2016, but Assad lost the total control over the country, and various factions fighting against the regime controlled different parts of Syria.
Abu Muhammad Al-Julani took the initiative of uniting the rebel groups. The final assault on the Assad regime, for which preparations were on since the last five years, was launched on November 27, 2024 when Aleppo was captured.
The opposition forces later captured Hama, Dar’aa and Homs and then finally Damascus on Sunday December 08, 2024.
Hours after the fall of Damascus, Abu Muhammad Al-Julani appeared live on the national TV and said the future is their, news agency Reuters reported.
“There is no room for turning back. The future is ours”, he said in his first statement published at 18:07 Sunday after overthrowing the Assad regime.
“People in Syria had been waiting for this moment for a long time”, Abdo Ghrebi (27) who had left Syria in 2017 said.
"We’re peaceful people. We never liked any war or violence, we only wanted peace, unlike the regime," he said.
"We lost a lot of martyrs but, thankfully, we’re now getting our dignity and freedom back and will have a better future. Our losses weren’t in vain”, he added.
Talking to BBC correspondent, a Syrian woman in Damascus who was in tears said most of her family were dead, killed inside prison.
Thousands of Syrians who were forced to live as different parts of the world are also rejoicing.
“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.
“This is a great moment”, she added.
Online video footages shared on social media show people celebrating on the streets in Damascus and Aleppo, and offering prayers in the historic Umayyad Mosque and Khalid ibn Walid mosque in the city of Homs.
Adhan at the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus#Syria pic.twitter.com/BwqWWMNm54
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Different world leaders have welcomed the fall of Assad regime in Syria, are cooperating with all factions to avoid chaos and make possible a smooth transition of power.
"The barbaric state has fallen at last", French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media.
"I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom, and unity. France will remain committed to the security of all in the Middle East", he added.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Assad's fall "good news" and urged a political solution to stabilise Syria, according to AFP.
"Bashar al-Assad oppressed his people brutally. He has countless lives on his conscience and has driven numerous people to flee, many of whom have arrived in Germany," Scholz said, according to the news agency.
UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said if the Assad regime has fallen then the government "welcome that news", according to BBC.
As for the United States, President elect Donald Trump, commenting on the latest development in Syria, said "this in not his county's war" and asked 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.
Saudi Arabia on the other hand said the Kingdom is engaging with regional actors to help prevent a chaotic outcome in Syria.
"We have been in contact with all actors in the region. We are in constant communication with Turkey and every stakeholder involved," a Saudi official was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters Sunday.
Jordan's King Abdullah in a statement released by the Royal Hashemite Court called for efforts to prevent conflict in Syria that could result in chaos, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the security of Syria.
Egypt has also called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Foreign Ministry of the country said.
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