Dictator overthrown

Syrian President Assad left Damascus

Many people cheered, danced and prayed after the fall of the dictator, who is said to have died in a plane crash.

(Bild: AFP)

The reign of ruler Bashar al-Assad in Syria has come to an end, according to the state army. The Islamists marched into Damascus on Sunday. They declared the capital "free of Assad". A "dark era" is over, the insurgents want a peaceful handover of power. Many people cheered, danced and prayed after the fall of the dictator, who is said to have died in a plane crash. On Sunday morning, the rebels also advanced in the north-east of the country. Part of the Syrian army is still taking up arms.

President Bashar al-Assad has been overthrown in Syria. The president left the capital Damascus on Sunday after a lightning offensive by Islamist rebels with an unknown destination - he is already dead, it was later reported.

Rebels are said to have entered the former dictator's palace and started a fire there. They are said to have fired into the air and shouted "God is great".

Head of government ready for handover of leadership
The army command has decommissioned government soldiers. Head of government Mohamed al-Jalali declared his readiness for an immediate handover of power. The rebels stated that they wanted to carry this out peacefully.

According to the leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the rebel alliance in Syria wants to take power peacefully.

(Bild: AP)

Shots of joy could be heard in Damascus, some danced and asked God to bless the new Syria.

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AFP )

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AFP)

According to the leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the rebel alliance in Syria wants to take power peacefully.

(Bild: AFP )

(Bild: AFP )

Cheers and prayers on the streets
Thousands of people gathered in a main square in Damascus, waving flags and shouting "freedom" (see video at the top). Many prayed, some climbed on tanks (see pictures above) and chanted. Shots of joy could be heard, some danced and asked God to bless the new Syria.

What else happened:

• Assad is believed to have died in a plane crash. According to the Reuters news agency, his plane must have left Damascus airport. It then disappeared from the radar.

• The rebel alliance also advanced in the north-east of the country on Sunday morning. They had also taken control of areas west of the important city of Deir al-Zor, the insurgents said.

• Part of the Syrian army has apparently not yet given up the fight against the rebels: According to its own statements, the army is continuing to take military action against the rebels. Military operations are underway against "terrorist groups" around the cities of Hama, Homs and Daraa.

• Following Assad's fall, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called for a new regional alliance in the Middle East. In addition to Saudi Arabia, this should include the Arab countries that had concluded the so-called Abraham Accords with Israel.

• Away from Damascus, "terrorist groups" are still being fought in Homs, Hama and Daraa, the army leadership announced. On social media it said: "The tyrant has fled. We announce that the capital Damascus has been liberated (from him)." It was emphasized that they had entered the capital without any signs of army troop movements.

• According to Jalali, the head of government remained in the country after the 59-year-old ruler Assad fled and wants to cooperate in the event of a change of power. They were "ready to work together with the opposition". He called on the people not to damage public property. Syria could be a "normal state" and belonged to "all Syrians". Citizens should cooperate at all costs.

• According to the leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the rebel alliance in Syria wants to take power peacefully. Public institutions in Damascus "will remain under the supervision of the former prime minister until the official handover", Julani announced on social media. Military forces are strictly forbidden from approaching these facilities, and shots may not be fired.

• The leader of the largest Syrian opposition group abroad, Hadi al-Bahra, announced that they wanted to meet with Arab and European countries as well as the United Nations to agree on the next steps for the country. 

• December 8 marks "the end of this dark era" of oppression under Assad and his father Hafiz al-Assad, who ruled the country for more than 50 years. It is now "the beginning of a new era for Syria", according to the Islamist fighters. A "free Syria" awaits all displaced people worldwide.

This is the moment that the displaced and the detainees have been waiting for, the moment of homecoming and the moment of freedom after decades of oppression and suffering. To the displaced people worldwide, a free Syria awaits you.

Die Rebellen

Fakten

Wie es zu der Machtübernahme kam

• The insurgents launched their offensive on Damascus on Sunday night. According to eyewitness reports, soldiers from the presidential guard left the capital.
  

• Various media outlets had previously reported that Syrian soldiers were leaving the country in droves. Iraq had taken in more than 1,000 soldiers from the neighboring country, the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera spoke of 2,000 military personnel.

• The Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) subsequently announced the entry into Damascus on the online service Telegram. "We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of the liberation of our prisoners, the loosening of their chains and the end of the era of injustice".

• On Saturday, the rebels captured the strategically important city of Homs, which is home to millions of people. This was seen as a decisive turning point: with the conquest of Homs, the Islamists had a clear path from the north to the capital, around 160 kilometers away. Lebanese Hezbollah, which is allied with the Syrian government, also withdrew its fighters from Homs and the outskirts of the capital Damascus, according to sources close to the militia. The fall of the government was only a matter of time.