How al-Assad's regime fell: Key moments in the fall of Syria's 'tyranny' | Syrian War News
Opposition forces seized Damascus early on Sunday, ending the 50-year rule of the al-Assad family in a dramatic move that took the capital in just 12 days.
The offensive began on November 27, when opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched an offensive from their base in the Idlib region of northwestern Syria and then turned south to oust Bashar al-Assad.
Here's how the last two days of fighting unfolded.
December 7: Closing the capital
Answer from Deraa: On Saturday, opposition forces captured most of Syria's southern province of Deraa – the birthplace of the 2011 uprising.
The people also took matters into their own hands, joined the fight, and marched north with the fighters, according to political analyst and activist Nour Adeh.
#Syria: the city of Ghabaghib in the north #Dara following its release in #Assad the kingdom.
This is the last city in Daraa that is guaranteed to be free from the government. pic.twitter.com/EvcLdm9JTw
— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) December 7, 2024
Answer from Sweida: Sweida was released from government forces and under the control of the Druze group on Saturday morning.
Closing in Damascus: Southern groups are heading north while northwestern forces are closing in on Homs, the next city on the main road to Damascus.
The government was feeling depressed as it watched the fighters of the opposition coming from all sides.
The army there had disintegrated organizationally, according to Sanad, Al Jazeera's digital investigative arm, with images emerging of soldiers abandoning their weapons and uniforms while many fled on foot from their military posts.
People wake up: The breakdown in morale sparked widespread protests in rural areas around Damascus, where protesters tore down al-Assad posters and attacked army positions.
December 8: Last hours
Release of Homs: Desperate to stop the opposition, the regime bombed the Rastan Bridge, but the opposition forces captured Homs regardless, early Sunday morning.
With that, they cut off al-Assad from his coastal strongholds, where two Russian military bases are located.
The capture of Homs was “a chance to die … because of the possibility that the Syrian army could consolidate its power and stop,” University of Oklahoma professor Joshua Landis told Al Jazeera.
On the road to Damascus: As armed opposition groups approached Damascus from all sides, the city descended into chaos.
The military operation room uses the “Red Crescent” unit, which is trained to attack cities, and many government forces were told to withdraw from Damascus airport and security centers in central Damascus, but to no avail.
First, Mezzeh: Opposition forces say they have taken control of Mezzeh Air Base in Damascus, a meaningful and symbolic victory because the base was used by the government to launch rocket and airstrikes on opposition-held areas throughout the war.
Then, Umayyad Square: In just two hours, a new video emerged in Umayyad Square in central Damascus, showing citizens celebrating as opposition forces entered the capital unopposed, with gunfire and celebrations and chants marking the fall of al-Assad.
#Syria: imperial troops abandoned Umayyad Square in the center of #Damascus.
Citizens take the streets. pic.twitter.com/LHCNbqTPz1
— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) December 8, 2024
'Syria is free': At 6 am on December 8, the army announced that Damascus had been liberated, confirming that Bashar al-Assad had fled the country.
People quickly dismantled signs of the brutal rule of the al-Assad family.
David Des Roches, associate professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, said the success of this offensive was due to the “lack of morale and leadership” in the “demoralized, badly led, poorly equipped, totally corrupt Syrian Army”.
Prisoners leave Sednaya: Not long after the opposition released thousands of people who had been imprisoned since the uprising began in 2011, or before.
Sednaya, established in the early 1980s north of Damascus, was a place where the al-Assad family imprisoned dissidents for decades. Human rights organizations have described it as a “house of killing people”.
During the release of the notorious Sednaya prison in Damascus, a small child was seen as the prisoners were being released.
This Syrian baby was born in a prison.
30,000 Syrians have been brutally killed due to torture and executions since 2011.
No words can describe the… pic.twitter.com/T4TkwoTscj
— Read ئختر – Zahid Akhtar (@ZahidDOAM) December 8, 2024
