In a major turn of events, Bashar Al-Assad, the President of Syria, has stepped down and left his country. This follows a rapid attack by rebel forces that successfully toppled his long-standing rule. Russia confirmed this news on Sunday, stating that Assad decided to resign after discussions with various groups involved in the conflict. He agreed to hand over power to the rebels peacefully.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern about the situation in Syria and mentioned that they did not take part in the negotiations. They have called for the rebel fighters to stop using violence and to solve the country’s problems through talks.
After the announcement, Syrian rebels declared the country as “free,” stating that Assad had abandoned the capital city of Damascus, heading to an unknown location. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Assad left Damascus on a private plane late Saturday night, but where he went is unclear.
Following this, the Syrian army and security forces withdrew from the airport, and commercial flights were stopped. There were even rumors about Assad’s death after his plane changed course and went off radar near Homs.
In response to these events, Russian troops in Syria have been placed on high alert, but Russia claims there is no major threat to its military operations there.
Once the news spread, people in Syria celebrated in the streets, tearing down statues of the Assad family. This rebellion was led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was previously known as the Al-Nusra Front and is linked to the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. The recent attacks marked the end of Assad’s over 50 years of control over Syria.
Bashar Al-Assad took over from his father, Hafez Al-Assad, in 2000 and ruled for more than two decades. His time in power has been heavily criticized, especially for the government’s actions during the protests in 2011 that led to a brutal civil war. This conflict has resulted in more than half a million deaths and millions of refugees.
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