• Celebrations on the streets as rebel groups seize control of Damascus; presidential palaces, govt buildings looted
• Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s radical Islamist leader vows to write ‘new history’ after their victory
• Syrian PM says ready to cooperate with new regime; opposition leader calls for 18-month transition
• Washington hails historic opportunity, Riyadh blames ousted leader’s defeat on his intransigence
• Pakistan says all its citizens safe, will facilitate their return once airports reopen

DAMASCUS: Syrian rebels who began a lightning offensive on Oct 27, swept into the capital unopposed on Sunday, declaring they had toppled “tyrant” President Bashar al-Assad, who fled the country.

Residents of the capital were seen cheering in the streets as news of Assad’s departure spread, and pro-government soldiers in various parts of the city began shedding their uniforms, local residents told AFP.

The development was hailed by Western capitals, with US President Joe Biden calling it a “moment of historic opportunity” for Syria.

But Russia, a key Assad ally, has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the fast-changing situation in the war-torn country.

A Kremlin source also said the rebels who ousted Assad “guaranteed the security of Russian army bases and diplomatic institutions on Syria’s territory”.

The Syrian rebel coalition said it was working to complete the transfer of power to a transitional governing body with executive powers.

Sun sets on Assad regime

As the sun set in Damascus without Assad for the first time, roads leading into the city were mostly empty, apart from motorcycles carrying armed men and rebel vehicles caked with brownish mud as camouflage.

Shops and restaurants closed early in line with a curfew imposed by the rebels. Just before it came into effect, people could be seen briskly walking home with stacks of bread.

Some men could be seen looting a shopping centre on the road between the capital and the Lebanese border, stuffing goods into plastic bags or into pick-up trucks. The myriad checkpoints lining the road to Damascus were empty.

Posters of Assad had been torn at his eyes.

A burning Syrian military truck was parked diagonally on the road out of the city. One eyewitness, requesting anonymity, told AFP they saw dozens of military vehicles abandoned in the upscale Mazzeh district, home to military and security headquarters, embassies and United Nations offices.

The army has not issued an official statement, but soldiers told AFP they were asked to leave their positions, with one saying “our direct superior told us to leave and go home, so we knew it was over.”

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, who took up the post in September, said in a message broadcast on his Facebook page that he was ready to “cooperate” with the leadership chosen by the Syrian people and for any handover procedures.

He also called for free elections and said he had been in contact with the rebel leader to discuss the transitional period.

The head of the country’s main opposition abroad, however, maintained that Syria should have an 18 month transition period to establish “a safe, neutral, and quiet environment” for free elections.

Hadi Al-Bahra told Reuters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum on Sunday that Syria should draft a constitution within six months, on which the first election would be a referendum.

“The constitution will say, are we going to have a parliamentary system, presidential system, or mixed system? And based on this, we do the election and the people choose their leader,” said Al-Bahra.

But when the celebrations fade, Syria’s new leaders will face the daunting task of trying to deliver stability to a diverse country that will need billions of dollars in aid to rebuild.

Rebel factions aired a statement on Syrian state television, saying they had toppled the “tyrant” Assad and urged fighters and citizens to safeguard the “property of the free Syrian state”.

According to the rebels, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Golani, arrived in Damascus.

“How many people were displaced across the world? How many people lived in tents? How many drowned in the seas?” he asked a huge crowd at the medieval Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus, referring to refugees who drowned trying to reach Europe.

Reaction

President Joe Biden on Sunday said the United States would engage with “all Syrian groups” over the political transition after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad.

“We will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign” Syria “with a new constitution,” he said.

Saudi Arabia said it has been communicating with all regional actors and is determined to do what is possible to avoid chaos, an official said on Sunday.

His failure to re-engage several regional actors and the opposition was to blame for his downfall, the official said “The Turkish government attempted to engage and coordinate with the Syrian government, but these overtures were met with refusal,” he said.

“The current situation is a direct consequence of the Syrian government’s lack of engagement in the political process. This outcome reflects the inevitable result of such intransigence.

Iraq, meanwhile, urged respect for the “free will” of all Syrians and the country’s territorial integrity.

“Iraq reaffirms the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians and emphasises that the security, territorial integrity and independence of Syria are of paramount importance,” government spokesman Basim Alawadi said in a statement.

China’s foreign ministry said it hopes Syria “returns to stability as soon as possible”, after Islamist-led rebels announced they had taken Damascus. Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible”, the ministry said.

Egypt urged all Syrian parties “to unify objectives and priorities and initiate a comprehensive and inclusive political process that lays the groundwork for a new phase of consensus and internal peace”.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the unfolding situation and shared the details of the efforts by the government of Pakistan for the safety and security of its nationals in Syria.

In a separate statement, Foreign Office said all Pakistani nationals were safe in Syria and had been advised to exercise caution. “We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in Syria,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.

The statement added that the Embassy of Pakistan in Syria was open for support and advice.

“As of now Damascus Airport is closed. Our embassy is in contact with stranded Pakistani nationals including [pilgrims]. It will facilitate their return once the airport opens,” it added.

“Pakistan has always supported unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, and there is no change in our principled position,” APP quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2024