In the ultimate, chaotic hours earlier than insurgent forces stormed Damascus and ended Bashar al-Assad‘s iron-fisted rule, the Syrian president had already fled the nation. His departure, shrouded in secrecy, marked the abrupt collapse of his 24-year regime and his household’s 50-year maintain over Syria. As the clock ticked in the direction of Sunday morning, Assad had already deserted his seat of energy, forsaking a disoriented authorities. His aides had been stored at midnight about his plans, with some studying of his departure solely after the very fact.
Secret departure
The ultimate days of Assad’s rule had been marked by confusion and secrecy. Rebel forces had launched an offensive within the north of Syria on November 27, and by the tip of the month, the regime had misplaced management of Aleppo. As the rebels moved south, capturing Hama and Homs, Assad remained in Moscow, the place his spouse was receiving most cancers therapy. During this time, he falsely assured his aides that Russian help would come, deceptive them into considering that navy help would halt the rebels’ advance.
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The following Saturday, on the eve of Damascus’s fall, preparations for a speech had been made within the presidential palace, information company AFP reported. Assad’s media adviser was tasked with drafting a speech for a political assembly that was anticipated to happen the subsequent morning. But by night, the state of affairs had taken an surprising flip. Assad, who had requested the speech, stopped answering calls, and his media director, Kamel Sakr, additionally went silent. By 2am on Sunday, as insurgent forces neared the capital, Assad’s authorities equipment started to disintegrate. Security forces and prime officers deserted their posts, with troopers fleeing the capital, leaving Damascus eerily empty. The authorities had misplaced management.
As panic set in, a palace official recounts the chaos of the ultimate hours: “We didn’t even know if the president was nonetheless on the palace. It was unimaginable that he had already left,” a palace official informed AFP.
‘Kept escape plans hidden from household’
As the collapse of his regime turned imminent, Assad stored his plans to flee Syria a secret from nearly everybody round him. He deceived aides, officers, and even his family because the state of affairs in Damascus deteriorated. Sources with direct data of the occasions informed Reuters that Assad didn’t open up to anybody about his intentions. His ultimate hours in Syria had been marked by a collection of false assurances to his navy commanders and a calculated departure that left many at midnight.
On the eve of his escape, Assad informed a gathering of navy and safety officers on the ministry of defence that Russian help was on the way in which, urging them to carry their positions.
“He informed his commanders and associates after his Moscow journey that navy help was coming,” the pinnacle of Syria’s fundamental opposition overseas, Hadi al-Bahra, informed Reuters. “He was mendacity to them. The message he obtained from Moscow was detrimental.”
Hours later, because the capital teetered getting ready to collapse, Assad left for Moscow with out informing anybody of his departure. His personal presidential workplace supervisor, anticipating him to return dwelling after work, was left bewildered when Assad as an alternative headed to the airport.
The escape was calculated and shrouded in secrecy. Assad’s brother Maher, the commander of Syria’s elite 4th Armoured Division, was ignored of the plan and later fled to Iraq earlier than heading to Russia. Meanwhile, Assad’s maternal cousins, Ehab and Eyad Makhlouf, tried to flee however had been ambushed by rebels—Ehab was reportedly killed and Eyad wounded.
Rebel takeover
Assad’s sudden departure, alongside the collapse of his navy forces, paved the way in which for the insurgents’ swift entry into Damascus. By Sunday morning, the rebels had taken management of the capital, marking the tip of Assad’s decades-long dictatorship. Despite the velocity of their victory, the insurgents had been aware of the necessity to reassure a inhabitants scarred by years of warfare. As crowds gathered within the streets, some rebel fighters sought to calm fears of extremist rule. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group main the cost, has promised to create an inclusive authorities, however considerations over their previous ties to extremist teams lingered amongst many Syrians.
Meanwhile, worldwide powers rapidly scrambled to form Syria’s transition. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with regional allies, urging the formation of a non-sectarian interim authorities.
