Assad clan's Syria collapses at the hands of Islamist insurgents

The Syria of the Al Assad family, which has ruled the Arab country since 1971, collapsed on Sunday at the hands of the insurgents led by the Levant Liberation Organization (Hayat Tahrir al Sham or HTS, in Arabic), who took Damascus with little resistance after just 12 days of offensive.

Bashar al-Assad fled the country on a “special” plane, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and his whereabouts are unknown, while the Military Operations Command of the coalition of Islamist and pro-Turkish groups responsible for his downfall proclaimed the Syrian capital, one of the oldest cities in the world, “free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”

Abu Mohamed al Jolani, the Islamist leader whose origins as a militant are in the Al Nusra Front, the Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda, declared his victory in a statement in which he asked his followers to remain calm and avoid abuses in the areas under his control, as he has been doing since he began his lightning offensive that has opened a new geopolitical paradigm throughout the Middle East.

land domain

“Enter Damascus with modesty, treat your people and your people well. You must be the best soldiers, as God’s messenger has described you,” he said in his message, adding that they must “protect public institutions and their properties, since they are the property of the people.”

In addition to Damascus, the fall of the city of Homs, north of the capital, to the rebels was also confirmed, as well as the seizure of control of Deir al Zur, in the east of the country and controlled until now by Kurdish-Syrian forces.

Thus, in principle, only the coastal provinces of Tartus and Latakia would remain outside the control of the insurgency, the first being the main centre of power of the Al Assad family - dominated by the Alawite religious minority - and the second where the main Russian military bases are located, the main ally of the already deposed leader.

Although gunshots and explosions were initially reported in Damascus, the city has been taken relatively calmly and with requests from all parties - not just Al Jolani - to preserve peace and avoid violence and "revenge."

Transition and tranquility

Syrian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghazi al-Jalali said Sunday that he is reaching out to “every Syrian who is interested in this country to preserve its institutions,” in a video released after Islamist insurgents took control of the capital.

In this regard, he said he was willing to provide "all kinds of facilities" to transfer "government files without problems and in a systematic way to preserve state institutions" to the new authorities who assume power.

The rebels said shortly afterward that public institutions in Syria would remain under al-Jalali's supervision until they were "officially handed over."

The release of hundreds of prisoners held in Assad's jails, including the Saydnaya military prison, one of the most notorious centres of repression, was also announced, in what rebels hailed as "the moment of returning home and the moment of freedom after decades of oppression and suffering."

Syrian radio and television also fell into the hands of the rebels, who broadcast a victory message, while thousands of people gathered in Umayyad Square, one of the city's nerve centers, where, in addition to the television station, the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and the Army are located.

Hadi Al Bahra, president of the Syrian National Coalition's highest political body in exile, the Syrian National Coalition (SNCRO), also said that the situation in Damascus is "safe except for a few weak souls who might take advantage of these conditions."

He asked the population to stay at home, and said that “there will be no cases of revenge, nor reprisals, nor violations of human rights. The dignity of the people will be preserved and respected.”

Among the first orders of the insurgents in Damascus was to prohibit “all military forces in the city” from approaching public institutions until they are officially handed over,” as well as “firing bullets into the air.”

The leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an armed alliance led by Kurds, said on Sunday that the fall of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad is an “opportunity to build a new Syria.”

“We are living through historic moments in Syria: we are witnessing the fall of the authoritarian regime in Damascus. This change represents an opportunity to build a new Syria based on democracy and justice, which guarantees the rights of all Syrians,” he said in a brief statement. EFE