Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Sunday after a swift offensive lasting less than two weeks. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, according to Russian news agencies.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, delivered a victory speech from the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. “This victory, my brothers, is historic for the region,” al-Sharaa said in a video statement shared on Telegram.
He declared the takeover a victory ‘for the entire Islamic nation’ and stated that “Today, Syria is being purified”. He added that “this victory is born from the people who have languished in prison, and the mujahideen (fighters) broke their chains.”
Al-Sharaa criticised Assad’s rule, saying Syria had become a center for ‘Iranian ambitions, where sectarianism was rife,’ referring to Assad’s allies, Iran and Hezbollah.
Videos online showed crowds cheering and chanting “Allahu akbar (God is greatest)” as he entered the mosque.
HTS, with roots in al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, broke ties with the group in 2016. Despite efforts to soften its image, HTS is still designated as a terrorist organisation by Western governments.
Assad’s government collapsed over 13 years after his crackdown on anti-government protests triggered the Syrian civil war. The conflict has involved foreign powers and jihadist groups, resulting in over 5,00,000 deaths.