Syria News Live Updates: President Assad ‘flees’ Damascus as rebels enter capital, open gates of notorious Sednaya jail
Syria News Live: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly fled the country of Syria for an unknown destination. The Opposition forces in war-torn Syria entered the capital city of Damascus, early on Sunday.
Syrian Opposition said on Sunday they have begun entering the capital Damascus without any sign of army deployments. The developments mark the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule since Syria’s civil war began in 2011.
“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,” they added.
Sednaya is a large military prison on the outskirts Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.
The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too.
Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The UN envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.”
Syria News Live: Syrians living in Lebanon return to Syria: Reuters
Syria News Live: Syrians living in Lebanon return to Syria: Reuters
Syria News Live: Assad regime’s defenses collapse
Syria News Live: Reconnaissance units had entered Damascus overnight searching for President Bashar al-Assad.
The rebels say they are in touch with senior Assad regime elements who are considering defecting.
Through the day, anti-regime forces have been moving from the north, south and east toward Damascus, reaching suburbs less than 5 miles — and in one case, barely 1 mile — from the center of the Syrian capital.
Syria News Live: Syrian rebels free detainees at prison near Damascus
Syria News Live: The Syrian opposition says its fighters have freed all the prisoners at the Sednaya Prison near Damascus, where rights groups say government forces have imposed horrific abuse on detainees.
“We announce the end of the era of tyranny at Sednaya Prison,” the opposition said in a statement.
Syria News Live: Syria Opposition preparing for 5 years
Syria News Live: Hadi Al Bahra, president of the Syrian National Coalition, explained that although the rapid developments have surprised many, the opposition groups have been planning and training for five years. “Things developed very rapidly, very fast, unexpectedly for many people, but this is really a result of preparation,” Al Bahra told Al Jazeera.
He added that the fighters, mostly Syrians accustomed to life in makeshift camps in northern Syria, are highly motivated. “Everyone wants to go back to their homes,” he said, emphasizing the strong drive behind the opposition’s efforts.
Syria News Live: Semi-Claw Siege on Damascus
Syria News Live: Syrian opposition made rapid advances in the past 24 hours, capturing Deraa, Qneitra, Sweida, and Homs—four cities strategically located around Damascus, the Assad regime’s main stronghold. Opposition forces are now surrounding the city, launching a siege from the southern and eastern countryside of Homs and northern Damascus.
“What they are doing is that they’re forcing a sort of a semi-claw siege on the city of Damascus and pushing the Assad regime forces to fortify Damascus,” reports Al Jazeera.
Syria News Live: ‘Syria is a mess, but is not our friend’, Trump
Syria News Live: President-elect Donald Trump has signalled that, under his administration, the United States would cease any involvement in Syria’s long-running civil war, hinting at a possible end to support for Kurdish-led forces in the region.
In a Saturday morning missive on social media, Trump addressed said, “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend,” Trump wrote, before switching to all uppercase letters for emphasis. “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”
Syria News Live: Syrian President Assad has reportedly ‘fled’ Damascus
Syria News Live: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly left Damascus, boarding a plane for an unknown location, according to Reuters news.
Syria News Live: Timeline of the Syrian rebels’s surprise assault
Syria News Live:
November 27 – Syria’s rebels launch a surprise assault on the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo, catching the al-Assad, his allies, and much of the world, off guard.
December 1 – Within days, the rebels seize control of Aleppo, except for some majority Kurdish districts held by Kurdish fighters.
December 5 – The rebels continue their offensive, announcing they the capture of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city.
December 7 – Rebels say they have begun operations to encircle the government-held capital of Damascus after seizing nearby towns.
December 8 – Rebels announce seizing control of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, and say they are now entering Damascus.
Syria News Live: Where did Assad flee to?
Syria News Live:Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane and left to an unknown destination, two senior army officers familiar with the incident told Reuters on Sunday.
Syria News Live: Assad ready to reach a deal with Opposition forces
Syria News Live: Reports that President Saad has fled Damascus emerged early on Sunday. This comes after opposition forces entered Damascus, hours after capturing Homs. Bloomberg rpeorted that President Assad is willing to to reach a deal that would allow him to hold on to the rump territory his army controls, or guarantee his safe passage into exile if needed.
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