DAMASCUS: Syria’s armed opposition announced on occupied state TV that its fighters have captured Damascus, the capital of the Middle East eastern country, ending 24 years of President Bashar al-Assad regime, who fled the country early in the morning on Sunday.
The commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, says all state institutions will remain under the supervision of al-Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali until they are handed over officially.
Earlier today, Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.
Who is Bashar al-Assad?
Bashar al-Assad, known for a brutal rule over Syria, is the second generation of an autocratic family dynasty that held power for more than five decades.
Assad, 59, rose to power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly three decades. Born in Damascus, Bashar initially pursued a medical career, specialising in ophthalmology, before political events redirected his path.
In 2011, a civil war broke out that ravaged the country and turned it into a breeding ground for extremist groups like Al Nasir, and ISIS, triggering international proxy wars and a refugee crisis that saw millions displaced from their homes.
The war erupted when the regime of Assad refused to bow to mass pro-democracy protests that year during the Arab Spring, but met such protests with a brutal crackdown into death and jailing of thousands of people for the first few months.
Assad forces have since been accused of serious human rights violations and ferocious aggressions against civilians all through the period of 13 years of war. The United States, Jordan, Turkiye and Europe at the beginning of the war requested Assad to step down.
The heavily Western-sanctioned and internationally isolated regime has clung to power until now largely because of assistance from strong allies such as Russia and Iran, and a ruthless war against the opposition.
Syria’s embassy in Qatar celebrates country’s ‘liberation’
The Syrian embassy in Doha has released a statement that says “the dawn of freedom has emerged and Syria has been liberated from the grip of tyranny”.
“Our people endured unspeakable injustices for decades, refusing to submit to the perpetrators of the gravest crimes that undermined human dignity and the nation’s resources,” read the statement.
“We address this message to all our people, that the road ahead of us is long and challenging. We must extend hands to each other, united in responsibility to rebuild our country and establish a future worthy of this great homeland.”
