On Sunday, Dec. 8, Syrians took to the streets in celebration as opposition fighters advanced into Damascus, marking the end of the Syrian civil war created under the oppressive regime of president Bashar-Al-Assad.
The Syrian civil war can be traced back to 2011 where popular dissatisfaction with Bashar-Al-Assad’s rule triggered widespread pro-democracy protests, eventually leading to a full-scale civil war. However, the problems in the country have persisted for over fifty years ever since the Assad family came into power. Since then, over 600,000 Syrians have been killed as a result of the violence, with 13 million being displaced, and seven million forced to flee.
However, in just two weeks, Syrian rebel forces, also known as the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, were able to topple the brutal rule of the Assad Dynasty, which had ruled Syria for over five decades. The group had a strong grip in the northwest but suddenly rushed towards Aleppo, a city intensely affected by the war, to overtake a government base. They were intensely successful, and rode this momentum, taking the city of Hama and eventually, Damascus. After the news released that Assad had reportedly fled the country, the country erupted in cheer, millions of displaced Syrians returning to their homes.
Ghazal Sabbagh, Syrian-American, sheds some light on the situation saying that, “there’s some misconception that we can just go back to our country right now, however there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
On Dec. 16, Assad released his first statement since Dec. 8, mentioning that he didn’t mean to flee Syria through a Syrian telegram channel. Assad reportedly “went to a Russian military base in Latakia province to oversee combat operations only to see that Syrian troops had abandoned positions,” according to BBC news.
Zaara Zaman, Briar Woods junior, gives her input on the story, mentioning that she feels it’s crucial to shed light on these situations because, “This a huge moment in world history and I think it’s important to celebrate the freedom of the Syrian people.”
As Syria grapples with the aftermath of the government collapse, the story continues to develop.
