A video emerged soon after Syrian rebels had overthrown Bashar al-Assad’s government, showing Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali being escorted by armed men from his office to the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus. Assad’s whereabouts are still unknown, but some reports indicate that he may have boarded a plane to leave the country.
In the aftermath of the rebel victory, celebrations erupted in neighboring Tripoli, Lebanon, where people waved Syrian opposition and Lebanese flags. The rebels declared that Assad had been overthrown, fuelling hope for an end to the civil war that has ravaged Syria for years.
Collapse of the Assad Regime
The Syrian government fell early Sunday after a lightning-fast rebel offensive took control of Damascus. This unexpected defeat for Assad has raised the possibility that the long-standing civil war may finally be nearing its conclusion. Assad’s forces, previously bolstered by Russian and Iranian support, crumbled under the rebel advance.
Prime Minister Ghazi al-Jalali, who claimed to have been in touch with rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani called for free elections to be held in Syria. Additionally, he stated his commitment to cooperate with the Syrian rebels to oversee the transition period. Al-Jalali has been quoted saying that he did not speak to Assad since Saturday.
U.S. Eyes Presence in Eastern Syria
Reacting to the changing situation, the United States has confirmed that it intends to keep its troops stationed in eastern Syria “to counter ISIS”. The American Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, Daniel Shapiro, addressing the Manama Dialogue security conference said the messy circumstances on ground could allow ISIS to make a comeback and regain traction.
“We are committed to working with our partners to ensure ISIS’s lasting defeat and the detention of its terrorists,” Shapiro said, reinforcing the continuing US commitment to counterterrorism in Syria.
The Future of Bashar al-Assad
President Bashar al-Assad’s fate remains a mystery. According to two senior army officers, Assad left Damascus early Sunday for an unknown destination aboard a plane. However, there are speculations that his plane made a sudden U-turn and disappeared from radar, making it speculate that Assad could have been killed in flight.
The disappearance of Syria’s President Assad has only added to uncertainty about Syria’s future. With his whereabouts still unknown, questions surround the country and its potential future steps along with future instability.
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