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DAMASCUS (CHATNEWSTV) — Syrian rebel fighters swept into Damascus unopposed on Sunday, toppling President Bashar al-Assad and bringing an abrupt end to his family’s five-decade grip on power. The dramatic advance marked a historic turning point in a 13-year civil war that devastated Syria and reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics.
“This is a new dawn for Syria,” proclaimed Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the top rebel commander, addressing jubilant crowds at the medieval Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus. “A new history is being written in the region after this great victory.”
A Rapid Collapse
The collapse of Assad’s government came with stunning speed. Once regarded as an unyielding stronghold of Russian and Iranian influence in the Arab world, the regime disintegrated overnight.
Rebels reported no resistance as they entered the capital. Thousands poured into Damascus’s main square, chanting “Freedom” and celebrating. Others flooded into the Al-Rawda Presidential Palace, leaving with furniture and snapping photos in gilded halls.
Bewildered prisoners, many jailed for years, emerged from Assad’s notorious prisons after rebels broke the locks on their cells. Families embraced, overwhelmed with relief and joy. “We toppled the regime!” one prisoner shouted, running through the streets with arms raised.
Regional and Global Implications
Assad’s fall delivers a significant blow to Iran’s regional ambitions, limiting its ability to funnel weapons to allied groups. It also jeopardizes Russia’s access to its Mediterranean naval base in Tartus, a cornerstone of its military presence in the region.
For millions of displaced Syrians living in camps across Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, the regime’s fall opens the door to eventual repatriation. “How many people were displaced? How many drowned in the seas?” Golani asked during his speech.
Despite his group’s roots as a branch of al-Qaeda, Golani sought to reassure foreign governments and minority sects, pledging a Syria “that befits the sacrifices of its people.”
A Path Forward
The Syrian rebel coalition announced plans to form a transitional governing body with executive powers. In a statement aired on state TV, Golani declared, “The future is ours. There is no room for turning back.”
The coalition added, “The great Syrian revolution has moved from the struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a new Syria together.”
The war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and turned Syria’s cities into rubble, has finally ended, leaving Syrians to face the challenge of rebuilding their shattered country.
