President Bashar Assad’s plane has reportedly left the capital, and the Syrian Army has withdrawn from its positions in the city
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters operate in Aleppo province, Syria, November 27, 2024. © Getty Images / Izzettin Kasim
Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and other anti-government militias entered Damascus on Saturday, taking control over the Syrian capital. Flight data websites show that President Bashar Assad’s plane has left the city. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad al-Jalali has already offered cooperation “with any leadership chosen by the people,” also claiming that he remains in his home.
HTS, a group led by a former Al-Qaeda commander and previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, launched a surprise offensive from the opposition-held province of Idlib in northern Syria just last week. Jihadists have already driven the Syrian Army from the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Al-Qusayr at the border with Lebanon.
Other opposition and militant groups operating in Syria also seized several parts of the country. The US-sponsored Free Syrian Army (FSA) has taken control of the ancient site of Palmyra, while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also backed by the US have seized Deir ez-Zor.
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08 December 2024
07:46 GMT
All flights in and out of the Damascus airport have been suspended amid the turmoil in the Syrian capital, according to a NOTAM communication to pilots and air traffic control.
- 07:30 GMT
The Syrian army said that it continues its military operations against “terrorist groups” in Hama, Homs, and Daraa provinces, despite the jihadist announcement that they have toppled the Bashar Assad government, according to a statement shared by several media.
- 07:14 GMT
The militants have made their first announcement on national TV, saying that they have “liberated” Damascus, and that “the tyrant Bashar Assad has been toppled.” “We wish all our fighters and citizens to preserve and maintain the property of the state of Syria. Long live Syria,” the statement said.
- 07:10 GMT
The jihadist militants have entered the premises of President Bashar Assad’s palace in Damascus, according to footage circulating on social media.
Bashar al-Assad's presidential palace following opposition armed groups' full control of Damascus. pic.twitter.com/AG44yDXxhQ
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) December 8, 2024
A clip shared by Press TV shows two soldiers firing in the air near what appears to be an entrance to the compound. Other videos show a number of unidentified people walking freely inside the palace.
- 06:49 GMT
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed that it has deployed the military in the buffer zone with Syria, as well as several other places to ensure Israel’s defense and the safety of the Golan Heights.
“We emphasize that the IDF is not interfering with the internal events in Syria,” the statement read, adding that the military in the area “will continue to operate as long as necessary” to meet its objectives.
- 06:20 GMT
Israeli tanks have moved in the “buffer zone” with Syria in the Quneitra area not far from the Golan Heights, mostly occupied by the Jewish state since the 1967 Six-Day War, the Times of Israel has reported, adding that West Jerusalem’s forces launched artillery strikes in the region, with the target unknown.
Local sources told RT that Israeli patrols entered the town of Khan Arnabah in the Quneitra province, killing one young man.
- 05:53 GMT
The militant forces are making progress in the western part of Deir ez-Zor province on the Iraqi border, the jihadists said in a statement, adding that “hundreds of regime elements surrendered” in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdulghani, a senior military commander in the area, also said that the jihadist forces have begun entering the city of Deir ez-Zor.
- 05:53 GMT
The jihadist forces claim they have freed all prisoners from the Sednaya Prison near Damascus, while announcing “the end of the era of tyranny” at the facility. It is unclear how many inmates were kept in the secretive prison, but they have reportedly numbered in the thousands. Media reports indicate that the prison agreed to surrender the facility in exchange for safe withdrawal.
- 05:42 GMT
Top Syrian military commanders have told officers that “President Bashar Assad’s rule ended,” Reuters reported, citing a military source. Footage circulating on social media appears to show military checkpoints in the Damascus area completely abandoned by military personnel.
- 05:42 GMT
The administration of US President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria” and remains in touch with regional partners, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett has said.
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