AMMAN: Syria’s military command has notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning insurgent offensive, a Syrian officer who was knowledgeable of the transfer informed Reuters on Sunday (Dec 8).
Syrian rebels mentioned that Damascus was “now freed from Assad”.
Earlier, Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown vacation spot, two senior military officers informed Reuters, as rebels mentioned they’d entered the capital with no signal of military deployments.
Hundreds in vehicles and on foot congregated at a principal sq. in Damascus waving and chanting “freedom”, witnesses mentioned.
“We rejoice with the Syrian folks the information of releasing our prisoners and releasing their chains and asserting the top of the period of injustice in Sednaya jail,” mentioned the rebels.
Sednaya is a big navy jail on the outskirts Damascus the place the Syrian authorities detained 1000’s.
A Syrian Air aircraft took off from Damascus airport across the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels, in accordance with knowledge from the Flightradar web site.
The plane initially flew in direction of Syria’s coastal area however then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the other way for a couple of minutes earlier than disappearing off the map.
Reuters couldn’t instantly verify who was on board.
The top of Syria’s principal opposition group overseas Hadi al-Bahra Syrian on Sunday additionally declared that Damascus is now “with out Bashar al-Assad”.
Syria battle monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights mentioned that Assad had left the nation.
“Assad left Syria through Damascus Worldwide Airport earlier than the military safety forces left the ability,” its head Rami Abdel Rahman informed AFP.
Simply hours earlier, rebels introduced they’d gained full control of the key city of Homs after solely a day of combating, leaving Assad’s 24-year rule dangling by a thread.
Hundreds of Homs residents poured onto the streets after the military withdrew from the central metropolis, dancing and chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Lengthy stay Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad”.
Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, whose territorial management has collapsed in a dizzying week-long retreat by the navy.
Intense sounds of capturing had been heard within the centre of the Damascus, two residents mentioned on Sunday, though it was not instantly clear what the supply of the capturing was.
In rural areas southwest of the capital, native youths and former rebels took benefit of the lack of authority to return to the streets in acts of defiance in opposition to the Assad household’s authoritarian rule.
The autumn of Homs gave the insurgents management over Syria’s strategic heartland and a key freeway crossroads, severing Damascus from the coastal area that’s the stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect and the place his Russian allies have a naval base and air base.
Homs’ seize can be a strong image of the insurgent motion’s dramatic comeback within the 13-year-old battle. Swathes of Homs had been destroyed by gruelling siege warfare between the rebels and the military years in the past. The combating floor down the insurgents, who had been pressured out.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the principle insurgent chief, known as the seize of Homs a historic second and urged fighters to not hurt “those that drop their arms”.
Rebels freed 1000’s of detainees from the town jail. Safety forces left in haste after burning their paperwork.
Residents of quite a few Damascus districts turned out to protest Assad on Saturday night, and safety forces had been both unwilling or unable to clamp down.
Syrian insurgent commander Hassan Abdul Ghani mentioned in an announcement early on Sunday that operations had been ongoing to “fully liberate” the countryside round Damascus and insurgent forces had been wanting towards the capital.
In a single suburb, a statue of Assad’s father, the late president Hafez al-Assad, was toppled and torn aside.
The Syrian military mentioned it was reinforcing round Damascus, and state tv reported on Saturday that Assad remained within the metropolis.
Exterior the town, rebels swept throughout your complete southwest over 24 hours and established management.
