Dec 8 \u2013 Rebel forces have declared Damascus \u201cfree\u201d from long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, following the withdrawal of government forces. Reports suggest Assad has fled the capital by plane to an undisclosed location.<\/p>\n
Gunfire was reported in central Damascus as the rebels advanced in a lightning offensive that has swept through the country. Unverified videos circulating on social media claim thousands of inmates were freed from the infamous Saydnaya prison, known for detaining and torturing Assad\u2019s opponents.<\/p>\n
The rebel capture of Damascus follows their recent \u201cliberation\u201d of Homs. Residents in Damascus are expressing mixed emotions\u2014relief, disbelief, and concerns about the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the very first time, there is a true feeling of freedom,\u201d said one resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons. \u201cThe streets are alive with peaceful celebrations, fireworks, and joy, reminiscent of the revolution\u2019s beginnings in 2011. Still, there\u2019s an underlying fear of the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Videos of jubilant gatherings in Damascus\u2019 Umayyad Square have gone viral, with Syrians celebrating the fall of Assad\u2019s government. Many exiled Syrians also took to social media, expressing hope for a return to their homeland. \u201cOh God, I cannot stop crying. I imagine the day I go back,\u201d posted Rima Flihan, a human rights activist.<\/p>\n
Syria\u2019s Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali has assured citizens of his continued presence in Damascus, vowing to rebuild the nation and foster positive relations with neighbors and the global community.<\/p>\n
Opposition leader Hadi al-Bahra declared the Assad regime\u2019s fall as the end of a dark chapter in Syria\u2019s history. He urged Syrians to refrain from violence, promising that dignity and human rights would be respected.<\/p>\n
The rapid developments have left many Syrians in disbelief but filled with cautious optimism. As one citizen posted: \u201cSyria is now for Syrians.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dec 8 \u2013 Rebel forces have declared Damascus \u201cfree\u201d from long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, following the withdrawal of government forces. Reports suggest Assad has fled the capital by plane to an undisclosed location. Gunfire was reported in central Damascus as the rebels advanced in a lightning offensive that has swept through the country. Unverified videos […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}