As Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia by plane, ending the 13 year old civil war, Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stormed his palace looting his belongings.
A viral video from inside the palace showed Assad’s lavish car collection, featuring luxury cars including Ferraris, Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces, and BMWs.
Videos on social media show looters wandering through the presidential palace’s massive garage, packed with luxury cars from the deposed dictator’s private collection.
The discovery of Assad’s car collection sparked outrage online, with many criticising the leader for indulging in personal luxury while millions of Syrians face dire conditions. The 13-year conflict has displaced millions, leaving many struggling to survive financially.
Syrian rebels raided the presidential palace, looting furniture and portraits, taking selfies, posing with guns, shooting in the air and ransacking the property.
Syrian rebels also exposed the horrors of Saydnaya Prison, known as a ‘human slaughterhouse.’ The prison, known for its brutal treatment of detainees, held thousands, including men, women, and children, who suffered under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Many detainees, including children, had endured years of torture, starvation, and neglect in cramped, underground cells.
Footage shows armed groups breaking through gates and cell doors, freeing prisoners from the darkness. Emotional reunions took place as families, separated for years, embraced their loved ones, some for the first time in decades.
The Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led the offensive, starting in Aleppo. They quickly took control of multiple cities, encountering minimal resistance from the Syrian army. The Guardian once described his abandoned palace as an “echoing monument to dictator decor.”
Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule ended as rebel forces took control of Damascus. Assad fled to Moscow, Russia, seeking asylum.