In a rather stunning turn of affairs, Syrian opposition fighters have now captured the presidential palace in Damascus, effectively putting to rest a family rule of 53 years through President Bashar al-Assad. Known as the “Operations Room to Conquer Damascus”, the military offensive carried out by the group ended with the capture of the capital, causing jubilant crowds to stream into the streets.
State television broadcasted a video statement on Sunday showing opposition members declaring the overthrow of al-Assad and announcing the release of all prisoners. In the broadcast, a representative of the opposition called on fighters and citizens to safeguard institutions of what they dubbed “the free Syrian state. ”
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However, the opposition has confirmed that al-Assad has deserted the capital but has not been able to reveal his whereabouts. Syria’s civil war started as a peaceful uprising against al-Assad but developed into a long-standing, bloody conflict with international and regional involvement, beginning in 2011.
It has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands in its wake, leaving millions displaced and giving rise to one of the largest refugee crises in the world for the last 13 years. That brings a turning point in this conflict now building more and more on what people care about: events in and about the Damascene future and challenges of rebuilding a fragmented nation.