Syrians poured into streets in celebration on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule.
Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. Others ransacked the presidential palace and residence.
President Bashar Assad and other top officials vanished, their whereabouts unknown. Russia, a close ally, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago leads the biggest rebel faction and is poised to chart the country’s future.
He made his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, at the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque, and called himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He said Assad’s fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.”
The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel has issued warnings to villages in southern Syria and its forces seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
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Here’s the Latest:
Arab League condemns Israel for seizing territory in Golan Heights
CAIRO — The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel for taking advantage of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s downfall by moving into more Syrian territory.
Hours after Assad’s overthrow, Israel announced it had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was established by a cease-fire agreement with Syria in 1974.
In a statement, the Arab League said Israel illegally sought to occupy more territories.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement regarding Syrian territory had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating Israel taking over as a “temporary defensive position.”
United Nations secretary-general marks the ‘fall of the dictatorial regime’ in Syria
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general is marking the “fall of the dictatorial regime” in Syria and says the future of the country is “is a matter for the Syrians to determine.”
A statement by Antonio Guterres also called for calm and the protection of the rights of all Syrians as well as of diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria. He said there is much work ahead to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions,” and he called on the international community to ensure that “any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity.”
Top Ukraine diplomat says Assad is a ‘dictator’ who relied on Russia to prop up his rule
KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine’s top diplomat on Sunday responded to Assad’s ouster by describing him as a “dictator” who relied on Russia to prop up his rule – a reference to the military campaign Moscow has waged in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country.
“Assad has fallen. This has always been and will be the case with all dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X.
In a separate update on the social network, Sybiha said Kyiv was ready to take steps towards restoring relations with Syria, severed months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the neighboring state.
Kyiv broke off diplomatic ties after Damascus in June 2022 recognized Kremlin-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, in a move welcomed by Moscow and decried by the West as a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty.
Israeli military issues warning to residents of five villages in southern Syria
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of five villages and towns in southern Syria to stay inside their homes for their safety. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said on X.
The military didn’t respond to questions. Earlier, Israel said its troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that the IDF has been instructed to “seize the buffer zone and control points to ensure the protection of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights – Jewish and Druze – so that they are not exposed to threats from the other side.”
Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied.
Head of Syria’s biggest rebel faction in first appearance since Assad’s fall calls it “a victory to the Islamic nation.”
BEIRUT – The leader of the largest insurgent group in Syria visited the Syrian capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and declared that the victory against President Bashar Assad “is a victory to the Islamic nation.”
Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made his first public appearance and remarks since fighters entered Damascus. He told hundreds of people at the historic mosque that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” He added that Assad made Syria a base for the illegal amphetamine Captagon that brought cash to Assad’s circles.
Al-Sharaa, the leader of the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said Sunday that the victory was achieved because of “God and the blood of martyrs.”
He said that he left Syria 20 years ago and since then his heart has longed for this movement.
British Prime Minister welcomes end of Assad’s rule, calls for protection of civilians
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the end of Assad’s rule as he called for peace and the protection of civilians.
“The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure,” Starmer said.
He said the U.K. was focused on a political solution to restore peace and stability.
“We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days,” he said.
Many Jordanian people welcome the fall of Assad’s regime
AMMAN, Jordan — The vast majority of the Jordanian people are welcoming the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the success of the Syrian revolution.
“There is no doubt that I felt overwhelming joy at the fall of the Assad regime,” said Badi Al-Rafaia, Engineer, union activist and member of the Islamic Action Front. “There is no doubt that we are happy with what happened in Syria, happy with the success of the revolution, happy with the Syrian people getting rid of an oppressor and criminal who treated the Syrian people and made the Syrian state a failed state.”
Al-Rafaia said that Jordan is benefiting from what happened in Syria, and “we hope that Jordan will help the revolution succeed and not work against it.”
Amman resident Muhab al-Majali said the fall of the Assad regime is “The end of every unjust and tyrannical rule, and more than that, it mortgaged the country and its people to the Iranians, who abandoned it in minutes… I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross calls for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria
BERLIN — The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria after the fall of Bashir Assad’s government.
“Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,” the ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, said in a written statement Sunday.
The ICRC is “responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance,” he said.
Sakalian called “on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.”
Iraqi government supports efforts seeking to open a dialogue for Syria’s future
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government said in a statement Sunday that it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria “leading to the adoption of a pluralistic constitution that preserves the human and civil rights of Syrians, and supports cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.”
The statement from government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi, said that Iraq understands “the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians, and stresses that the security of Syria, the unity of its territories, and the preservation of its independence are of utmost importance, not only for Iraq but also for its connection to the security and stability of the region.”
It cautioned against “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, or supporting one party for the benefit of another.”
Iraq, which has a close relationship with Iran – once a strong ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad – has taken in some 2,000 Syrian army soldiers who fled the country amid the advance of armed opposition groups.
Yemen’s leader welcomes the fall of Syria’s government
CAIRO — The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria.
“It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, wrote on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.”
Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, was referring to Iran’s support of Houthi rebels who are at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade.
Families wander through the presidential palace in Damascus, taking pictures
DAMASCUS — Families wandered through the high-ceilinged halls of the presidential palace in Damascus on Sunday, along with some armed men. Some paused to take family portraits or selfies on the few remaining couches against the backdrop of mosaiced walls, while others walked out with chairs and other items under their arms. On the massive parking lot out front, cars drove in circles honking ecstatically.
In central Damascus’ Umayyad Square, drivers passing by also honked jubilantly, while young men piled onto a tank abandoned in the square.
But for some the celebration was bittersweet.
“I am very happy, but this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of the prison and know where is he is,” said Damascus resident Bassam Masr. “I have been searching for him for two hours – he has been detained for 13 years.”
Iran, which had closely backed Assad, says Syrians should decide country’s future
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran says the Syrian people should decide their country’s future “without destructive, coercive foreign intervention.”
The Foreign Ministry statement issued Sunday marked Iran’s first official reaction to the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, who it had strongly backed through nearly 14 years of civil war.
Assad’s government was a close ally of Iran that served as a crucial conduit between it and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The rebels who toppled Assad view Iran as a hostile foreign influence, and the abandoned Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked as they entered the city.
The Foreign Ministry statement said Iran supports Syria’s unity and national sovereignty, and hopes to see “the end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist activities and the start of a national dialogue” with the participation of all groups.
“It is expected that the wise and farsighted relations of the two nations will continue based on mutual ties and interests,” the statement said.
Netanyahu says Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights after Syrian unrest
TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. He spoke from an overlook near the border between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels tore through the country and dramatically ended Assad’s rule on Sunday morning.
Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a “temporary defensive position.”
Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory.
Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began construction of what could possibly be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work.
The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force in the demilitarized zone called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, with around 1,100 peacekeepers from Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Uruguay. After the 1973 Mideast war, the U.N. Secretary Council voted to create UNDOF to patrol a roughly 400 square kilometer (155 square mile) demilitarized zone and maintain the peace there.
Syrians cross over from Lebanon, facing an uncertain future but hopeful for change
MASNAA, Lebanon — At Lebanon’s Masnaa crossing into Syria, the mood was festive Sunday with some local Lebanese residents handing out congratulatory sweets to Syrians lined up to return to their country.
Sami Abdel-Latif, a refugee from Hama who was heading to Syria to join his wife and four children, said while the future in Syria is still uncertain, “anything is better than Bashar.” He said he expected some chaos initially but that eventually the situation would settle down.
“Look at Aleppo now,” he said, referring to the first major city taken over by opposition forces more than a week ago, where life has continued more or less as normal. Abdel-Latif, a construction worker, said he is also hoping that there will now be plentiful work in Syria to rebuild.
Malak Matar, who was preparing to return to Damascus, said, “This is a feeling we’ve been waiting 14 years for.
“You feel yourself psychologically free – you can express yourself,” he said. “The country is free and the barriers have been broken down.”
Now, he said, “Syrians have to create a state that is well-organized and take care of their country. It’s a new phase.”
Airstrikes reported in the area of the Mezzeh military airport
DAMASCUS, Syria — An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported airstrikes in the area of the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of the capital Sunday.
The airport has previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, but it was not immediately clear who launched Sunday’s strike.
The Israeli military refused to comment on the airport strike.
Israel often does not publicly claim responsibility for attacks in Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that Israeli warplanes also targeted warehouses belonging to the Syrian army’s Fourth Division and another former military site outside of Damascus Sunday.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border between Israel and Syria. Agricultural areas along the border were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest.
Russia claims Assad left Syria after giving instructions to transfer power peacefully
MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday that Bashar Assad had left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups, and gave “instructions” to “transfer power peacefully.”
In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the ministry said Moscow had not directly participated in these talks. It also said it has been following the “dramatic events” in Syria “with extreme concern.”
It also said Russian troops stationed in Syria have been put on high alert and that as of early afternoon Sunday, there was “no serious threat” to the security of Russia’s military bases there.
Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country.
While Russia now concentrates the bulk of its military resources in Ukraine, it has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.
