Reports say that Assad has left Damascus by plane for an unknown destination
AMN / WEB DESK
Syrian rebel forces have claimed control of the capital Damascus today after a week-long lightning offensive, encountering no resistance from government troops. It comes amid media reports that President Bashar al-Assad, has fled the country after ruling Syria for 14 years. President Assad boarded a plane to an undisclosed location. As per media reports, the Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali has said that he is ready to hand over the government to the opposition forces in a peaceful transition. Syrian rebels have announced the fall of Assad’s regime and declared the start of a new era for Syria after claiming control over Damascus.
The head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad, Hadi al-Bahra, told private media, that they would meet with Arab, European countries and the United Nations to agree on next stage for the country.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, Syrian military and security forces have withdrawn from Damascus International Airport.
Rebel forces in Damascus declared the capital city “free” of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad as government forces withdrawn. Reports say that Assad has left Damascus by plane for an unknown destination
Unverified footage shared on social media shows thousands of inmates have been freed from the notorious Saydnaya prison – where Assad’s opponents were tortured and executed.
The rebel advance on Damascus comes after they said they had “fully liberated” the city of Homs.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.
“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili said in a video statement. He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property.
A Syrian opposition war monitor, Rami Abdurrahman, said Assad left the country on a flight from Damascus early Sunday. Jalili did not address reports of Assad’s departure.
- Assad boards plane, leaves Damascus, say senior army officers.
- Syrian president’s destination unknown, officers say.
- Thousands celebrate “Freedom” in Syrian capital city.
Syria’s rebels have broadcast a message from the state-run television station and over Damascus Radio, claiming they have ended Bashar al-Assad’s rule and freed political prisoners.
Fighters in the broadcast are calling on “the mujahidin and citizens to preserve the property of the state of free Syria.
Long live Syria, free and proud. To all Syrians, whatever their sect.”
The fall of Bashar al-Assad brings an end to an era defined by authoritarian rule, widespread suffering and deep geopolitical entanglements. Syria now faces an uncertain future as it transitions from decades of Assad family rule to a new, yet unclear, political landscape.
The head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian said on Sunday that Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad”.
The Syrian war has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. As the uprising spiraled into a civil war, millions of Syrians fled across the borders into Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon and on to Europe.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.
“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili said in a video statement. He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property.
A Syrian opposition war monitor, Rami Abdurrahman, said Assad left the country on a flight from Damascus early Sunday. Jalili did not address reports of Assad’s departure.
Who Is Bashar al-Assad?
Bashar al-Assad was the third child of Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971 until he died in 2000. The Assads, belonging to Syria’s Alawite minority, a sect constituting about 10 per cent of the Syrian population, rose to prominence through military and political manoeuvring.
Bashar al-Assad initially pursued a medical career, graduating as an ophthalmologist from the University of Damascus in 1988, and later trained in London. However, his path changed dramatically in 1994 when his elder brother and heir apparent, Basil, died in a car accident. Bashar returned to Syria and was groomed to succeed his father.
Hafez al-Assad’s death in June 2000 paved the way for Bashar al-Assad’s presidency. A constitutional amendment reduced the minimum age for the presidency to 34, matching Bashar’s age. He was swiftly appointed secretary-general of the ruling Ba’ath Party and later confirmed as president in an unopposed election.
Initially, hopes were high that his Western education and relative youth would introduce reforms and liberalisation in the Syrian political system. However, Bashar al-Assad largely maintained the authoritarian governance of his father, emphasising control through powerful intelligence networks and a rigid political structure.