Thousands of ecstatic individuals gathered in central Damascus and various cities across Syria to rejoice during the inaugural Friday prayers since the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.
Over fifty years of oppressive governance by the Assad family abruptly ended following a swift rebel campaign that traversed the nation and seized the capital.
The fleeing of Mr. Assad marked the conclusion of an era defined by the imprisonment or murder of suspected dissidents and concluded nearly 14 years of conflict that resulted in over 500,000 fatalities and displaced millions.
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the assault, encouraged Syrians “to take to the streets to show their joy”.
During the early days of the Syrian uprising in 2011, pro-democracy demonstrators assigned different names to their Friday gatherings, on the day of Muslim prayer and rest, each week.
On the first Friday following Mr. Assad’s decline, they dubbed it “Friday of victory”.
Numerous individuals flocked to the iconic Umayyad Mosque in the capital, with some proudly displaying the three-star Syrian independence flag that was previously forbidden during Assad’s tyrannical rule.
Masses also convened in the plazas and streets of other Syrian cities, such as Homs, Hama, and Idlib.
Jubilant crowds chanted, “The Syrian people are one”.
Khalil Rimo, 52, expressed, “It feels like I’m dreaming”.
“I can’t believe I’m standing next to the Umayyad Mosque… without government thugs” demanding identification, Mr. Rimo remarked.
Groups also assembled in the squares and streets of additional Syrian locales, including Homs, Hama, and Idlib.
The atmosphere was festive and laid-back as hundreds rallied in Aleppo’s main square, a site that witnessed intense clashes during the country’s civil war, according to AFP reporters.
A large billboard featuring Assad and his father Hafez was set ablaze.
“The Assad father and son oppressed us, but we have liberated our country from tyranny,” a white-bearded police officer stated at the scene.
Ahmad Abd al-Majed, 39, an engineer who returned to Aleppo from Turkey, mentioned that many shed “tears of joy and happiness”.
“Syrians deserve to be happy,” he affirmed.
In Sweida, a southern city known as the heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, hundreds took to the streets, singing and clapping in celebration.
“Every province is celebrating this incredible victory,” noted Haitham Hudeifa, 54.
The Sunni Muslim HTS, rooted in Syria’s faction of Al-Qaeda and classified as a terrorist organization by numerous Western nations, now confronts the challenge of how to engage with the country’s new leadership.
The group has attempted to moderate its rhetoric, insisting that the rights of all Syrians will be upheld along with the rule of law.
Reportedly, the European Union is seeking “to establish connections” with the newly installed rulers in the near future, according to an EU official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
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Several Middle Eastern governments announced that they would reopen their diplomatic missions in Syria.
The United Nations refugee agency stated that the new government had sent “constructive” initial signals, including a request for the organization to maintain its presence in the country.
Leaders of the Group of Seven democratic nations, who were scheduled to meet virtually on Friday, expressed their readiness to support the transition to an “inclusive and non-sectarian” government in Syria.
They emphasized the necessity of protecting human rights while underscoring “the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its transgressions”.
Within much of Syria, attention is shifting towards uncovering the truths of Assad’s regime, particularly related to the network of detention centers and suspected torture locations.
Syrians have inundated prisons, hospitals, and morgues seeking information on long-missing loved ones.
“I turned the world upside down looking for them,” Abu Mohammad recounted to AFP as he sought news of three missing relatives at the Mazzeh airbase in Damascus.
“All we want is a hint of their whereabouts.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported documenting over 35,000 cases of disappearances during Mr. Assad’s tenure, with the actual number likely being significantly higher.
While Syrians rejoice in the demise of Mr. Assad’s oppressive governance, they confront challenges in securing basic necessities within a country devastated by conflict, sanctions, and rampant inflation.
The EU announced the implementation of an “air bridge” operation to transport an initial 50 tonnes of health supplies through neighboring Turkey.
Bashar al-Assad was supported by Russia, with a senior Russian official informing US media of his flight, as well as Iran and Hezbollah from Lebanon.
The rebels initiated their offensive on November 27, coinciding with a ceasefire taking effect in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, during which Israel caused significant losses to Mr. Assad’s Lebanese ally.
Refugees have begun returning to Syria following Assad’s regime’s ousting, with certain members of minority groups exiting the country.
Both Israel and Turkey, the latter of which backs some of the rebels who ousted Assad, have conducted strikes within Syria.
Israel has deployed troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that separates Israeli and Syrian forces at the Golan Heights, a move deemed a violation of a 1974 armistice by the UN.
The army has been instructed to “prepare to remain” in that region throughout the winter, stated the office of Defence Minister Israel Katz.
While speaking in Jordan yesterday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need to “avoid igniting any further conflicts,” after discussing military operations by both Israel and Turkey in Syria.
In Baghdad, Mr. Blinken remarked that “as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy,” it should “not serve in any way as a platform for terrorism”.
The United States maintains troop presence in both Syria and Iraq as part of a coalition against the Islamic State jihadist organization.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, during his meeting with Mr. Blinken, cautioned against any further instability and “any aggression on Syrian territories by any party,” according to a statement from his office.
The new Syrian authorities have requested the UN refugee agency to continue its operations in the country after Mr. Assad’s ousting, signaling a “constructive” intent, as reported by the organization.
“The needs are enormously vast,” declared Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR’s representative in Syria, addressing reporters in Geneva via video link from Damascus.
Since the departure of Mr. Assad, the agency experienced “some communication with the interim authorities,” he noted, adding: “the initial signals they are sending us are constructive”.
The authorities expressed “a desire for us to remain in Syria, acknowledging the work we’ve been doing for many years, emphasizing their need for us to continue,” Vargas Llosa stated.
Most importantly, he mentioned that the interim authorities indicated “they will provide us with the necessary security to conduct those activities”.
Meanwhile, the ICRC emphasized the daunting task ahead in aiding Syrian families whose relatives vanished during Assad’s control.
In recent years, “we have received requests from tens of thousands of families who approached us with what we refer to as tracing requests,” shared Stephan Sakalian, head of the organization’s Syria delegation.
The ICRC has recorded over 35,000 cases of disappearances, he informed reporters from Damascus, adding that the true count is likely significantly higher.
The organization is advocating for the safeguarding and preservation of archives found in detention centers and elsewhere, along with burial sites.
Tens of thousands of Shia Muslims have fled to Lebanon.
Since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad by Sunni Muslim Islamists, tens of thousands of Syrians, primarily Shia Muslims, have fled to Lebanon, fearing persecution despite assurances from the new authorities in Damascus that they would be secure, according to a Lebanese official.
At the border with Lebanon, where numerous individuals attempted to leave Syria yesterday, a dozen Shia Muslims shared experiences of threats against them, both in person and predominantly via social media.
Their narratives highlight fears of persecution amid promises of safety from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—the Sunni Islamist group that has emerged as the prevailing force in the new Syria but is certainly not the only military faction active.
Shia communities have frequently found themselves at the forefront of Syria’s 13-year civil war, which has developed sectarian features as Assad, from the minority Alawite faith, called upon regional Shia allies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, to fight against Sunni insurgents.
A senior Lebanese security official indicated that over 100,000 individuals, primarily belonging to minority groups, had crossed into Lebanon since Sunday, though he could not specify a precise number due to the fact that most used illegal crossings along the porous border.
At the main border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Samira Baba mentioned that she had been waiting for three days to enter Lebanon with her children.
“We don’t know who has sent these threats, via WhatsApp and Facebook,” she explained. “The rebels in charge haven’t openly threatened us, so it could be other factions or individual actors. We simply don’t know. But we realize it’s time to leave,” she conveyed.
The new Syria presents uncertainty for many, especially minorities.
Shia Muslims are estimated to comprise about one-tenth of the population, which was approximately 23 million before the conflict began.
While HTS, having severed its connections with the international jihadist network Al-Qaeda, is the most influential of the numerous factions that opposed Mr. Assad, there exists a multitude of other armed groups, many of which espouse Islamist ideologies.
Ayham Hamada, a 39-year-old Shia Muslim who was serving in the army when Mr. Assad fell, asserted that the regime’s downfall happened so swiftly that it left him and his brother, who was also a soldier, racing to determine whether to stay or flee.
They escaped to Damascus, where they received threats, he noted, without providing further details. “We fear sectarian violence… this could lead to liquidation.”
Despite reassurances from HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Hamada conveyed that minorities have been left without protection following Assad’s abrupt exit. “Bashar took his wealth and fled, disregarding us,” he lamented.
