**Images of jubilation in Damascus after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad**
Thousands of Syrians gathered in the heart of Damascus to celebrate the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, after rebel forces entered the city without encountering strong resistance from regime forces, declaring their liberation.
Amid the euphoria, Omar Daher, a 29-year-old lawyer, shared the emotions that overwhelmed him. “After the years of fear that he [Assad] and his father put us through, and the panic and terror that I was in, I can’t believe it,” he told The Associated Press.
Mohammed Amer Al-Oulabi, 44, said he couldn’t sleep the night before until he heard of Assad’s fall. “From the city of Idlib to Damascus, it took the opposition forces only a few days, thank God. May God bless them, these heroes who made us proud.”
A Damascus resident, Ghazal al-Sharif, proclaims that “God has answered” the prayer of “every oppressed person.”
The ouster of Assad – who has not been heard from since the rebels’ announcement – marks the end of more than 50 years of his family’s autocratic rule over a nation of about 23 million people, shaken and torn apart by more than a decade of civil war.
The images from Damascus, capturing the joy and fervor of its residents, convey a clear message: a sense of relief and hope after years of oppressive rule. The city once marked by violence and fear now presents a face of victory and newfound freedom.
This day will remain etched in the history of Syria, bearing witness to the perseverance of the Syrian people and their unquenchable quest for justice and dignity.