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The leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus visited capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque.
The leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, address a crowd at the capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque (AFP)
In his first public appearance after ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, the leader of Syria’s biggest rebel faction Abu Mohammed al-Golani hailed the fall of Assad as “a victory to the Islamic nation.”
He also told the gathering that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.”
The leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus visited capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque Sunday.
Jolani while addressing , used his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa. He greeted the crowd amid cheering and chants of “Allahu akbar (God is greatest),” a video shared by the rebels on their Telegram channel showed.
Celebrations erupted around Syria and crowds ransacked Assad’s palace earlier today the HTS, formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front and affiliated with the terror group Al-Qaeda, along with allied factions, ended five decades of Baath party rule.
Earlier, Russia confirmed today that Assad has resigned from the post of the President of Syria and left the country.
While there has been no communication from Assad or his entourage on his whereabouts, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people”.
Assad Fled To Unknown Destination
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Assad left on a private plane that took off from Damascus international airport at 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Saturday night, without specifying where he headed.
After that, the army and security forces pulled out of the airport, with commercial flights already suspended earlier, added the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground.
There have been speculations that Assad have been killed after it abruptly reversed course and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes before vanishing from radar near the city of Homs, Reuters reported.
Celebrations Across Syria
Residents in the capital were seen cheering in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of “tyrant” Assad, saying, “We declare the city of Damascus free.”
The people of the country took to the streets to celebrate hours after Assad fled the country. They took down the statues of the Assad family all across the country as dramatic scenes unfolded from parts of the country.
As rebels entered the capital, HTS said its fighters broke into a jail on the outskirts of Damascus, announcing an “end of the era of tyranny in the prison of Sednaya”, which has become a by-word for the darkest abuses of Assad’s era.
UN war crimes investigators on Sunday described Assad’s fall as a “historic new beginning” for Syrians, urging those taking charge to ensure the “atrocities” committed under his rule are not repeated.
(With inputs from agencies)
- Location :
Damascus, Syria