In Damascus,shouts of joy went out and religious invocations were launched through mosque loudspeakers.Still stuck by the announcement of the ”flight” of President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian capital woke up before dawn on Sunday under rebel control.
Hundreds of people gathered in Umayyad Square, in central Damascus, to celebrate the fall of the Assad family in power for more than half a century, in a country torn apart by a deadly civil war since 2011.
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Syrian rebels celebrate the capture of Damascus / News videos / 26 sec. / today at 08:28
“We have been waiting for this day for a long time,” said Amer Batha, reached by AFP by telephone from Umayyad Square, in a country ruled with an iron fist by a power that suppressed all dissent and blocked public liberties.
“I can’t beleive that I’m living this moment,” said this Syrian, with tears in his eyes: ”It’s a new story that’s starting for Syria.”
“Syria is ours, not the Assad family”
In the garden in the center of the square, under shouts of “Allah Akbar” (“God is greatest”) thrown out loud to express the joy of the crowd, many residents trampled a statue of hafez al-Assad, the father Bashar. , after falling and breaking it, according to images from AFPTV.
“Syria is ours, not the Assad family,” said armed men from the rebel groups marching on some streets of Damascus, firing into the air with joy.
the regime soldiers quickly got rid of the military uniforms of the Syrian army,leaving the headquarters of the general staff on Umayyad Square,residents told AFP.
expressing dismay at the rebels’ dazzling insults in the capital, civil servants abandoned the premises that housed public television and radio, according to a former employee.