Rebel forces have taken control of Syria, marking the collapse of the government and end of the Assad family’s 54-year rule.
Over the weekend, the coalition of rebel groups declared the country “free” of President Bashar al-Assad. Hours later, it was reported that he had fled the country for Russia.
It’s the culmination of a two-week campaign led by Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which Australia currently lists as a terrorist organisation.
So, how did Syria get here?
Background
Bashar al-Assad became President in 2000, succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled for 29 years. His Government received military support from Iran and Russia.
Following peaceful protests against Assad’s government in 2011, the regime killed protesters and other civilians.
The crackdown led to a civil war between the Syrian military and anti-government forces.
As many as 600,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed during the war, and 12 million displaced.
Latest conflict
Fighting in recent years had largely stalled in Syria.
However, last month HTS led a coalition of rebel forces in a surprise offensive from the north-west, clashing violently with Assad’s forces.
The coalition captured Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, forcing the country’s military to withdraw.
In response, Russian and Syrian forces conducted airstrikes, killing hundreds.
After capturing Aleppo, the rebels then marched towards the capital, Damascus.
Over the weekend, the rebels seized control of Damascus. In a video statement, they said Assad had been overthrown.
The rebels overcame the military relatively easily, partly because Assad’s allies Russia and Iran are engaged in other conflicts.
The rebels were also reportedly supported by Türkiye in the lead-up to the campaign.
Prisoners
Over the week between taking Aleppo and Damascus, the HTS-led rebels have opened prisons.
Both Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad’s regimes were marked by routine and widespread imprisonments.
Hundreds of thousands of people were jailed indefinitely for speaking out against the Assads’ governments, or for helping those who did.
Human rights groups report prisoners were subject to systematic torture and executions, disease, starvation, and neglect.
In 2021, a United Nations committee described Syrian prisoners as “forcibly disappeared,” and said they included men, women and children.
On the weekend, the rebels opened Sednaya Military Prison, near Damascus, which Amnesty International described in 2017 as a “human slaughterhouse“.
Assad
As rebels were taking control of the Syrian capital, the country’s President fled.
Russian state media has since reported Assad and his family have been granted asylum in Russia, a long-term ally.
Assad has not issued any public statements since his government was overthrown.
Now that Assad has been overthrown, HTS has become the most powerful force in the country.
HTS was originally set up in 2011 as Jabhat al-Nusra, and was directly connected to al-Qaeda. The former leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was also involved in the creation of this group.
In 2016, under the leadership of Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, the group cut ties with al-Qaeda and changed its name. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia.
What happens now?
Now that HTS-led forces have taken control of the country and Assad has fled, there are plans for a transition of power.
The rebels have ordered an overnight curfew in Damascus, and have said they want to create a functional government. Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali has publicly said he is ready to transfer power.
Russia has reportedly requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation.
Response
In the wake of the news, Syrians in other countries have gathered to celebrate the end of Assad’s regime.
Thousands of refugees living in Lebanon have already crossed the border back into Syria, including some on foot.
UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir O. Pedersen said: “Today we look forward with cautious hope to the opening of a new [chapter] — one of peace, reconciliation, dignity, and inclusion for all Syrians.”
The US
The U.S. military has been involved in Syria since 2014, when troops were deployed to fight the Islamic State.
U.S. soldiers have since backed at least one of the groups in the HTS-led coalition.
Today, U.S. President Joe Biden said: “The fall of the [Assad] regime is a fundamental act of justice.”
Biden said the U.S. would work with the United Nations to “establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward [a] sovereign Syria”.
