Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani proclaimed “a new history” for the nation after his forces seized Damascus and President Bashar al-Assad fled the capital.
Addressing jubilant crowds at the historic Umayyad Mosque, Jawlani celebrated the fall of a regime known for decades of brutal repression and vowed to build a Syria worthy of its people’s sacrifices.
“How many people were displaced across the world? How many people lived in tents? How many drowned in the seas?” Jawlani asked. “A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory.”
He called for unity in rebuilding Syria and creating “a beacon for the Islamic nation.”
The swift collapse of Assad’s forces overnight triggered scenes of joy and disbelief. Thousands of political prisoners were freed as rebel forces blew open jail doors, allowing inmates to reunite with families after years of captivity.
Videos captured freed prisoners running through the streets at dawn, some flashing hand gestures to symbolise the years spent in detention.
The Syrian rebel coalition announced plans to transfer authority to a transitional governing body. “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,” the coalition stated.
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