Syria Has Fallen to Turkey-Backed Rebels, Assad Fled

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Within hours, Syria has fallen out of al-Assad’s hands. In a matter of just 24 hours, as many as four cities fell out of the Assad government’s control. These cities were Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs.

The Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) first broke through the defenses of Aleppo last week, gaining a major breakthrough after a sort of stalemate that had engulfed the war-torn country for years. While it was shocking, nobody still expected it to open the floodgates and achieve what the opposition in Syria has been trying to do since the Civil War broke out in 2011, toppling the Assad regime.

According to al Jazeera, Al-Assad became hugely unpopular as people found it harder and harder to survive, including his soldiers, the majority of whom did not want to fight for him.

Soldiers and police officers were reportedly abandoning their posts, handing over their weapons, and fleeing ahead of the opposition advance.

Militarily as well, the al-Assad regime has been weak for years, relying on Russian and Iranian military support to prop it up.

Did Assad Crash

Reportedly, the tyrant, al Assad, left early Sunday, and his plane disappeared from the radar. There is speculation that his plane crashed.  It is uncertain if Assad was on that plane.

One source said: “It disappeared off the radar, possibly the transponder was switched off, but I believe the bigger probability is that the aircraft was taken down…”

Another report claims Assad has flown to the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base in a part of Syria still loyal to the regime.

Jolani Claims He Will Allow Free Elections

In an earlier video statement, Jolani said: “The matter is up to any leadership chosen by the people, and we are ready to cooperate. All the properties of the people and the institutions of the Syrian state must be preserved.

“I hope all Syrians think rationally about the interests of their country.

The Victors Are HTS

The winning militants, labeled as terrorists by the US, have taken over the country. They are known as HTS and are led by al-Golani (aka al-Jolani). He recently said he believes in diversity.

After the 13-year war, a war funded by the US and led or approved by Turkey, Syria’s army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad’s regime had ended, JP reports. Syrian rebels declared President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster after seizing control of The civil war that ended after 13 years.

The influence of Russia and Iran might be over.

The Prime Minister had called for free elections, but would HTS allow that?

“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the rebels said, referring to a large jail on the outskirts of Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands. The Jihadists freed many of the prisoners.

On Sunday, the Syrian rebel coalition said it is continuing work to complete the transfer of power in Syria to a transitional governing body with full executive powers.

“The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people,” it added in a statement.

Arabs Aren’t Convinced This Is an Improvement

The Arabs in the region fear more instability. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan also closed a border crossing with Syria.

The Jihadists were formerly, reportedly formerly, tied to ISIS and al Qaeda.

HTS, which spearheaded the rebel advances across western Syria, was formerly an al Qaeda affiliate known as the Nusra Front. Allegedly, its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani (aka al Jolani), severed ties with the global jihadist movement in 2016.

Countries like the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, both close U.S. allies, see Islamist militant groups as an existential threat so that HTS may face resistance from regional powers.

In a conference in Manama, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates president, said a main concern for that country is “extremism and terrorism.”

Allegedly, Israel will celebrate. However, the winners were formerly the al-Nusra front. Should we believe they aren’t still al Nusra?

The Civil War Will Continue

Konstantin  Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia’s upper house of parliament and a veteran Russian expert in international affairs, predicted the civil war in Syria would not end with Assad’s departure and that tough times were ahead.

“Syria is a very difficult story for everyone without exception. One way or another, the civil war will not end today; there are too many opposing interests and too many opposing forces, including outright terrorist groups. And that is why the hardest part is ahead again,” Kosachyov wrote on his official Telegram channel.

“If the people of Syria continue to need our support, it will be provided. But hardly in the context of a full-scale civil war. The Syrians will have to deal with that themselves,” he said.