Syria’s armed opposition has announced the capture of the capital, Damascus, marking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad after over two decades in power.
The Commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Julani who confirmed this, said state institutions will remain under the supervision of al-Assad’s Prime Minister until they are officially handed over to a transitional authority.
The announcement followed an offensive by opposition forces, who seized several key cities in hours.
Shortly after, state television broadcast a statement by the rebels to the Syrian people.
“The city of Damascus has been liberated,” declared a man dressed in civilian clothing. “The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has been toppled. All the prisoners have been released from the prison of Damascus. We wish all our fighters and citizens to preserve and maintain the property of the state of Syria. Long live Syria.”
The development sparked international concern, with neighbouring countries and major regional powers including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkiye, and Russia issuing a joint statement.
The coalition described the situation as a “dangerous development” and called for a political solution to avoid further escalation.
LEADERSHIP reports that 59-year-old Bashar al-Assad took power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971.
Initially trained as a medical doctor, al-Assad returned to Syria from London where he was practicing ophthalmology after the death of his elder brother, Bassel, in a car accident. Bassel had been groomed as Hafez’s successor, leaving Bashar to assume the role.
al-Assad’s presidency was marked by brutal conflict, particularly following the outbreak of civil war in 2011. What began as peaceful protests demanding democratic reforms was met with a violent crackdown by the regime, plunging Syria into a devastating war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The ousted president was widely accused of committing numerous human rights violations, including the use of chemical weapons against civilians, suppressing Kurdish populations, and orchestrating forced disappearances throughout the conflict.
As reports indicated that al-Assad had fled the country, attention turned to the next steps for Syria.
While the opposition celebrated what they called the “liberation” of Damascus, questions remained about the nation’s future governance and stability.