The Syrian capital, Damascus, fell into the hands of an Islamist coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on Sunday, marking a dramatic shift in the nation’s ongoing conflict. Rebel forces seized key positions within the city, including the state television headquarters, while gunfire echoed across the streets, according to eyewitness accounts.
According to reports, President Bashar al-Assad reportedly left Damascus before the rebels entered. Anti-regime forces conducted searches and failed to find him, sources said Assad was “nowhere to be found.”
CNN quoted a source close to the rebel groups saying, “Militarily, Damascus has fallen.” Senior officials within Assad’s regime are reportedly considering defection as the collapse of the government becomes evident.
The coalition has advanced rapidly from several fronts, all coming at Damascus from north, south, and east. Over the weekend, they claimed key cities, including Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda, and Homs, in coordinated attacks. “Now our focus is on to liberate the capital,” said Lt. Col. Hassan Abdul Ghani, a rebel spokesperson.
Chaos erupted at Damascus International Airport as citizens and officials scrambled to leave the country. Crowds swarmed through security checkpoints in a last-ditch attempt to board flights before things worsened.
The anti-Assad coalition, made up of both Islamist and moderate factions, has put aside their differences to jointly fight the Assad regime, ISIS, and Iran-backed militias.
Donald Trump’s Respond
US President-elect Donald Trump responded to the unfolding situation by calling Syria a “mess” and saying the US had no business getting involved. Indeed, Trump believes that only when Assad is gone will his ouster prove beneficial to Syria, which has waged a civil war for twenty-five years.
Opposition fighters in Syria, in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities, in a highly coordinated offensive, and are now on the outskirts of Damascus, obviously preparing to make a very big move toward taking out Assad. Russia, because they are so tied up…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2024
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