Syrians entered the once remote palaces of the al-Assad family in Damascus on Sunday after rebel groups captured the capital city and ended more than five decades of the family’s authoritarian rule in the country. President. The video, verified by news agency Reuters, shows citizens walking around the Al-Rawda and Muhajarin palaces, taking photos and removing valuables such as furniture and jewelry.
In visuals of Al-Rauda Palace, children can be seen running through the grand halls, while men are seen carrying chairs and sliding trunks across the ornate floors. Footage from the Muhazarin Palace showed groups of people walking through marble-floored rooms with tall wooden doors. Some carry vases and other decorative items, emptying cupboards and cabinets.
Earlier on Sunday, Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Marched to Damascusand finally announced that they had “liberated Damascus” and toppled the Assad regime, freeing all the imprisoned prisoners.
In a post on X, the alliance said it wants to build strategic partnerships within the region and the world, news agency Reuters reported. Abroad, the leader of Syria’s main opposition party, Hadi al-Bahra, said there should be an 18-month transition period to create a “safe, neutral and peaceful environment” for free elections in Syria.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had stepped down after talks with other participants in the “armed conflict” and ordered a peaceful transfer of power.
The Syrian civil war has been ongoing since 2011, and went into a stalemate until the November 29 fall of the city of Aleppo in 2020. The combined forces of the Syrian government and its ally Russia have failed to retake rebel-held territory, despite the use of jets and bombardments in the area. The rebel offensive is also the first time since 2016 that opposition forces have taken control of Aleppo city.
Moreover, HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani recently said The New York Times In an interview, “Our goal is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime.”