What happened in Syria? How did al-Assad fall?

(Al Jazeera Media Network) In the early hours of Sunday morning, opposition forces declared Syria liberated from the rule of President Bashar al-Assad as opposition forces surged into the capital.

The former president in question reportedly fled Damascus, with no information yet as to which country will receive him.

The stunning collapse of more than 53 years of al-Assad family rule has been described as a historic moment – nearly 14 years after Syrians rose in peaceful protests against a government that met them with violence that quickly spiralled into a bloody civil war.

Just a week ago, the regime still maintained control over significant portions of the country. So how did it all unravel so quickly?

When did it start?

On November 27, a coalition of opposition fighters launched a major offensive against pro-government forces.

The first attack came at the front line between opposition-held Idlib and the neighbouring governorate of Aleppo.

Three days later, the opposition fighters took Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo.

Who did this?

Named Operation Deterrence of Aggression, this offensive was fought by several armed Syrian opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by allied Turkish-backed factions.

HTS – led by Abu Mohammed al-Julani – is the largest and most organised, having ruled the governorate of Idlib for years before this offensive.

Other groups that took part in the operation were the National Front for Liberation, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaish al-Izza and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, as well as Turkish-backed factions that fall under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army.

Has all of Syria fallen?

Probably. Although opposition fighters did not enter Lattakia and Tartous, coastal governorates – seen as al-Assad strongholds.

The rebels advanced quickly – within days, they took Hama and Homs, a city once dubbed “Capital of the Revolution” during the early years of the war.

On Saturday, Deraa – the birthplace of the 2011 uprising – also slipped from government control.

The Syrian army announced it was “redeploying and repositioning” in the province and nearby Sweida, but that seemed to come to nought.

The United Kingdom-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said Syrian troops were withdrawing from positions in Quneitra, near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Why did al-Assad fall so fast?

Syria was struggling as its economy tanked.

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.

But, analysts say, Russia is bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine, and Iran and their Lebanese ally Hezbollah have been damaged by Israeli attacks – they could not come to the rescue of the faltering Syrian army.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/8/what-happened-in-syria-has-al-assad-really-fallen