Images of celebration in Damascus after Assad’s fall in Syria
The streets of the Syrian capital, Damascus, were filled with excitement in the early hours of Sunday as people celebrated the end of the Assad family’s 50-year rule.
The euphoria marks the culmination of the Syrian rebels’ rapid advance across the country, culminating in the fall of President Bashar al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war.
Syrians expressed joy at the end of Assad’s repressive regime. One man said: “It’s a feeling of joy after 13 years of pressure and tragedy. The regime has hurt us, but now we are free, without fear or oppression. We will come back stronger and more united, and will be the best country, inshallah.”
Many residents of the capital struggled to believe how quickly Assad had lost his grip on the country, calling the liberation a “strange feeling of happiness.”
“We did not expect this great surprise, to wake up and find that the dictator who slaughtered and killed people in the name of democracy and freedom, this criminal who oppressed the people for 50 years, was gone.”
The night before, opposition forces took control of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, as government forces abandoned it.
Two senior officials said Assad fled Damascus on a plane to an unknown destination on Sunday.
In their drive to overthrow his government, the rebels have faced little resistance from the Syrian army.
The victory of the Islamist rebels dealt a blow to the influence of Russia and Iran in the region, both key allies of Assad.
The rebel coalition, made up of various opposition groups, said Sunday it was working to transfer power to a transitional governing body.
It is led by an al-Qaeda-linked group that is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations.
Syria’s prime minister, who remains in the country, has said he is ready to cooperate and has proposed a peaceful transition.
Washington said Sunday it is closely monitoring events in Syria and is in contact with its regional partners.
The images of jubilation and freedom that lit up Damascus are a testament to Syrians’ hope for a better future and a transition to an era of peace and progress.