The armed opposition in Syria has announced the capture of the country’s capital, Damascus, and the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
As of Sunday morning, Mr al-Assad’s whereabouts were uncertain, but the opposition says he has fled the country. Reuters also quotes two army sources as confirming that the president’s plane left Syria for an unknown country.
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PREMIUM TIMES reports that the armed opposition, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has gained major victories in recent days, taking over major cities like Aleppo and Homs.
On Sunday morning, the commander of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said state institutions will remain under the supervision of Mr al-Assad’s prime minister, Mohammad al-Jalali, until formal handing over. Al-Jazeera reports.
The HTS and many of the opposition fighter groups are believed to be backed by Turkey, whose president has never hidden his disdain for Mr al-Assad since the Arab spring.
On Saturday, incoming US President, Donald Trump, in a message on X, celebrated the loss of Mr al-Assad but said the US should not get involved in the crisis.
Mr al-Assad’s exit is a major blow to Iran and Russia who have actively supported his government, deploying arms and personnel to fight alongside the Syrian army against the rebels.
However, with Russia bogged down with the war in Ukraine and Iran facing internal crises alongside a potential war with Israel, Mr al-Assad appears to have been unable to hold down the country on his own.
Details later…
