Sun Dec 08 11:27:12 UTC 2024: ## Assad Flees Damascus as Rebels Topple Statues, Free Prisoners
**DAMASCUS, Syria (December 7, 2024)** – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly fled Damascus following the rebel forces’ entry into the capital, marking a dramatic turning point in the long-running Syrian civil war. Celebratory scenes erupted across the country as rebels and supporters tore down statues of Assad’s father and former President Hafez al-Assad.
In Damascus and other cities, including Hama and Latakia, protesters dragged and destroyed the statues, a powerful symbol of the regime’s end. Videos circulating on social media show the decapitated head of Hafez al-Assad’s statue being dragged through the streets of Hama. The toppling of these monuments echoes similar events during regime changes globally, such as the vandalism of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statues following the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh.
Reports indicate that Assad’s departure leaves him largely isolated, with key allies Russia and Iran preoccupied with other conflicts and Hezbollah weakened following its recent war with Israel. The rebels’ success is attributed not only to their military gains but also to the diminished support for the Assad regime.
Adding to the significance of the day, rebels reportedly freed all detainees from the notorious Sednaya prison in Damascus, declaring an “end of the era of tyranny” within its walls. The fall of Damascus and the symbolic destruction of the Assad statues represent a major victory for the opposition forces and mark a potential turning point in the Syrian conflict. Assad’s whereabouts remain unknown.
First Piper 