Syrian rebels make first announcement on national television after takeover

DAMASCUS: Syrian rebels announced on Sunday (December 8) the liberation of Damascus and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in a brief statement on state television.

Nine individuals appeared on Syrian state television, one of whom delivered what he said was statement number one from the “Fatah Damascus Operations Room.”

“The city of Damascus has been liberated, the tyrant Bashar al-Assad has been toppled, and all the unjustly detained persons from the regime’s prisons have been released,” says one member from the Syria rebels.

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The entire statement read, “Statement Number 1, Fatah Damascus Operations Room, In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the grace of God Almighty, the city of Damascus has been liberated, the tyrant Bashar al-Assad has been toppled, and all the unjustly detained persons from the regime’s prisons have been released. The Fatah Damascus Operations Room calls upon the mujahideen brothers and citizens to preserve all the properties of the free Syrian state. Long live a free and independent Syria for all Syrians of all sects.”

Syria’s army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad’s regime had ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.

Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

The dramatic collapse marks a seismic moment for the Middle East, ending the family’s iron-fisted rule over Syria and dealing a massive blow to Russia and Iran, which have lost a key ally at the heart of the region.

Earlier on Sunday, a resident in the Syrian capital said that the rebel fighters were reportedly moving through the streets, CNN reported. Residents also said that electricity and internet connectivity in Damascus is weak.

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Specialised rebel units established positions in key areas of the city, while reconnaissance teams were purportedly sent into Damascus overnight in search of the long-reigning president but were unable to find him.

This lent credibility to the news reports that Bashar al-Assad had already fled the country. There are also reports of several high profile officials within the Assad government planning to defect.