Syrian President Bashar Assad has landed in Russia, according to state media. This comes after a swift offensive targeting Damascus forced him to flee the country on Dec. 7, ending nearly 60 years of Assad family rule in Syria.
There were swift reactions from U.S. leaders, including from President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Before Assad fled the country, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT, LET IT PLAY OUT, DO NOT GET INVOLVED.”
Trump also posted after Assad was confirmed to have fled to Moscow, saying, “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now.” He also called for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
President Biden also made announcements about the conflict. He says the administration is “clear eyed” on the subject of a potential IS resurgence, saying, “Just today, U.S. forces conducted a dozen precision strikes, airstrikes, within Syria targeting ISIS camps and ISIS operatives.”
Moscow has not been silent on the matter either, with Russian officials saying the country “is in contact with all factions of the Syrian opposition.” The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Assad, “made the decision to resign from the presidency and leave the country, instructing a peaceful transfer of power.”
After over 13 years of brutal civil war, back and forth offensives and civilian crackdowns in Syria, long time President Assad has fled the country to his allies in Moscow. Rebels, in a surprise offensive starting on Nov. 27, swiftly captured the major city of Aleppo, turning south and taking the major cities of Hama, then Homs.
The war began during the Arab Spring, a wave of pro-democratic protests, revolutions and civil wars that began in the early 2010s. Major leaders were toppled, including Muammar Gaddaffi in Libya, and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
⚡️The Syrian war as we known it for 14 years has ended.
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) December 8, 2024
Map as of today, 08/12/2024. pic.twitter.com/rUZXA8unoP
What just happened in Syria?
Northern Idlib’s Syrian Salvation Government, headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a U.S. designated terrorist organization, and the Syrian National Army (SNA), a Turkish backed group, began attacking southwards in late November, and by Dec. 5 were at the doors of Homs, a major logistical hub connecting the capital of Damascus to Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
On Dec. 6, rebel forces under the banner of the Southern Front captured a southern regional capital, Suwayda, as well as Daraa, and Assad’s forces were seen leaving much of the eastern part of the country, which is mostly desert. Those areas were taken in small chunks by Islamic State group remnants and U.S. backed Kurdish forces.
While HTS was occupied with resistance from Assad’s forces, Iranian militias, Russian soldiers and Hezbollah in Homs, the Southern Front began to enter outer Damascus on Dec. 7, slowly surrounding the capital city. By the end of the day, attacking forces were said to be in the suburbs of Damascus.
Very early on Dec. 8, defending forces retreated from Homs, and northern rebels were able to capture the city. Another U.S. backed group, the Syrian Free Army, was also able to approach Damascus from the north.
Later that day, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali stated that he was ready to cooperate with the rebels. In a recorded message he said “We are ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people.”
Notably, President Assad had not made any public appearances in days within Damascus, with many wondering if he had fled. Russian officials later confirmed that he had “stepped down” and left the country, taking refuge in Moscow.
What’s next for the war-torn nation?
With Assad gone and a new normal being imposed on Syria by a number of different armed groups, many are left to wonder what sort of government will be set up in the dictator’s absence. The main group of the offensive, HTS, has links to Al-Qaida and IS, though the group has tried to shed those past connections.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani met with CNN in an interview on Dec. 6, and says he has cut jihadist ties and now embraces religious tolerance and pluralism.
Also still in the country are some Russian forces, which fled entrenched positions around the nation, now controlling only their leased Tartus naval base on the Mediterranean and Khmeimim air base near Latakia. Russian forces say they are on “high alert” as rebel forces near their positions.
In the northeast of the country, the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S. backed Kurdish group, still fights Turkish proxy groups such as the SNA, though notably HTS and other groups have not engaged the Kurds so far.
Israel also has a part to play, with the Israeli Defense Forces attacking a number of Assad government military installations near the occupied Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a buffer zone be created near the Golan, with the 1974 ceasefire over the occupied zone void, according to the leader.
Though the fight to oust Assad is over, with major blows to Russian and Iranian influence and power in the region, it is unknown what sort of government may be set up by the number of different groups in Syria. Israeli attacks have only intensified, and it is unknown if these armed groups in the country will be able to keep the peace in the long term, not only within Syria, but with each other.
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