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UN war crimes investigators described Bashar al-Assad's fall from power as a "historic new beginning" for Syrians, urging those taking charge to ensure the "atrocities" committed under his regime are not repeated.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI), which has been investigating and recording all alleged war crimes and other violations of international human rights law since shortly after Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, highlighted the evidence of abuses lingering inside the now emptying detention centres.
COI chair Paulo Pinheiro pointed to the "prisoners being released after decades in arbitrary detention from the infamous Sednaya Prison outside Damascus", in a "scene that millions of Syrians could not have imagined a few days ago".
"It is incumbent on those now in charge to ensure that such atrocities are never again repeated within the walls of Sednaya or any other detention centre in Syria," he said.
One of the commissioners, Lynn Welchman, urged those now taking charge of Syria's detention centres to "take great care not to disturb evidence of violations and crimes".
Sednaya prison, Syria’s “human slaughterhouse” fell into the hands of the rebels on Saturday as Bashar al-Assad's rule came to an end.
Fighters freed hundreds of inmates, including women and young children. However, there were subterranean cells that they were not yet able to access.
“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,” rebels said shortly after taking over the notorious facility.
Footage from the prison showed rebels breaking doors open and telling inmates they were free.
Thousands were seen leaving the prison, with people screaming in the streets. Many had been in the prison for several years.
Read more: Syrian rebels unable to unlock Sednaya prison's underground cells but free hundreds
Hundreds of Syrians and Lebanese gathered in the streets of Tripoli to celebrate the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, journalist Madeline Edwards reports from the northern Lebanese city.
People handed out sweets and lit fireworks while others cheered, waved Syrian revolution flags and the Lebanese flags as they danced to national songs blaring from speakers in the city’s main Nour Square.
Several people interviewed by Middle East Eye said they would stay in Lebanon until the situation in Syria becomes clearer before going back.
Others were already preparing for their long-awaited return home.
“I’m returning to Syria the day after tomorrow,” 22-year-old Ousama, who has been living in Lebanon since the start of the war in Syria, told Middle East Eye.
“We want the regime to remain crushed under our boots.”
Ayham Tawakalna, a 27-year-old from Damascus, said he will give the security situation some time to stabilise before crossing to Syria.
“I will return soon, in the next few days,” he said.
Abeer Khayat, a 33-year-old Syrian woman, said she and her family are waiting for the situation to calm down in Syria before planning to return.
“We anticipate potential chaos in the country. Syria is home to many factions, religions, and sects, and while we are one people, the regime has sown sectarian strife among us,” said Khayat, who fled her native Qalaat al-Hosn, in the western countryside of Homs, to Lebanon in 2012.
“I’m so happy, we still haven’t slept yet from joy.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad as an "historic day" that came as a direct result of Israel's actions against Hezbollah and Iran.
On a visit to the area near the border with Syria, he said he had ordered Israeli forces to seize areas in the buffer zone to ensure Israel's security.
"We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border", he said.
Rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, commonly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, said there is no room for turning back and the rebels are determined to continue the path they started in 2011 during the Arab Spring.
"The future is ours," said the statement read on Syria's state TV.
An Israeli official told the Wall Street Journal that Israel's main concern amid the fast evolving situation in Syria is to prevent Iran from re-establishing its influence in the country.
“We won’t be tolerant regarding Iranian entrenchment and penetration into Syria,” the official said.
“We need to decide our strategy regarding Syria,” said the official. “It’s very complicated. We need to learn more and be really modest.”
Lebanese group Hezbollah withdrew all of its forces from Syria on Saturday as rebels approached the capital Damascus, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters.
One of the sources said that the supervising forces that Hezbollah had deployed to Syria overnight between Thursday and Friday had been sent to oversee the pullback.
The Lebanese Army has meanwhile deployed reinforced units to the northern and eastern with Syria borders in response to the current situation in Syria, the military said.
Dozens of Syrian men, women and children explored toppled president Bashar al-Assad's luxurious six-storey home in Damascus after it was looted.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.
In a statement, the ministry did not say where Assad was now and said Russia has not taken part in the talks around his departure.
"As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power.
"Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry said.
The ministry said Russia was in contact with all groups of the Syrian opposition. It said Russia's military bases in Syria had been put on a state of high alert, but that there was no serious threat to them at the current time.
Report by Reuters
Syrian rebels announced a curfew in Damascus starting 4 pm local time until 5 am.
In an interview with Middle East Eye, Hadi al-Bahra, who heads the Syrian political opposition coalition overseas, stressed the need to preserve the Syrian institutions and protect the economy over the next phase.
Speaking from Doha, Bahra, the president of the Syrian National Coalition, said the coalition of Syrian opposition groups that will lead the country must expand to include "new elements of the opposition".
“We need to implement UN security resolution 2254 and the Geneva communique. So now we have a body called the Syrian negotiation commission that includes all the opposition...(and will) come up with a decision to establish a transitional governing body that will (run) the country to make decisions and to manage the period of transition which is about 18 months,” he said.
Bahra also said that the Syrian opposition is not looking to create chaos in the country and has assured all minorities that they will not be discriminated against.
“We appreciate that the prime minister didn’t run away like the president. He took a risk and he stayed, knowing that no one will hurt him. He volunteered also to have an organised transition,” Bahra said.
Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, more commonly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has earlier said that state institution will be supervised by former Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali until they are handed over.
Bahra also said that while Turkey was aware that rebels were preparing an offensive, it was not involved "arming or training the rebels".
"They never expected this achievement."
It seems like Israeli war planes are bombing Syrian military bases that have fallen into rebel hands.
According to media reports, Israeli jets have struck Mezzah air base near Damascus, ammunition and weapons depots at the Khalkhalah airbase in Sweida and other areas of Daraa province.
The Israeli military, as is usual, has not commented.
Turkey-backed Syrian forces entered the northern Syrian city of Manbij after taking control of most of the surrounding area from US-allied Kurdish forces there, a Turkish security source told Reuters.
"The fight against the YPG/PKK is very close to victory. Both air and land interventions are ongoing to take Manbij from the hands of the YPG/PKK," the source said, referring to the Kurdish People's Defense Units that has long been in control of Manbij.
The source subsequently said the rebel forces were in the city of Manbij itself. There was no immediate comment from Kurdish forces in the city, some 30 km south of the Turkish border and to the west of the Euphrates River.
Here's the latest map of control in Syria. You'll notice the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus are still Syrian government red.
That's because as we understand it the rebels have not yet taken control there and the regular military remains the dominant - if passive - force.
There's been footage from both those provinces of people celebrating the government's fall and tearing down statues of Hafez al-Assad.
Notably, Damascus and its countryside is shaded opposition green for the first time in 14 years.
Video footage circulating on social media is showing jubilant scenes in Syria.
In this video, a man can be seen running in a crowd through Damascus. He turns to say: “I have been in prison for 10 years. What happened?”
“The regime fell,” comes the reply, and he runs off laughing.
So touching:
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) December 8, 2024
“I have been in prison for 10 years. What happened?”
“The regime fell”
And his laugh!
pic.twitter.com/nXzx3fjkuR
In the Damascus countryside town of Sahnaya, Christian Syrians have been seen celebrating beside a church and a Christmas tree.
"One, one, one, the Syrian people are one," they are heard singing.
In the town of Sahnaya, in the Damascus countryside, Syrian Christians are celebrating the fall of the regime.
— Leila Al-Shami (@LeilaShami) December 8, 2024
"One, one, one, the Syrian people are one" they chant pic.twitter.com/DnNx1FWl3Q
Over in Tartus, on Syria's northwestern coast, people appeared to be rejoicing too.
Tartus and neighbouring Latakia are Assad's heartlands and provinces where many people of his Alawi sect live. Tartus also hosts a significant Russian naval base.
Yet in this video, crowds of people can be seen tearing down a statue of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father and predecessor as president.
This is from the Alawite-majority city of Tartous - supposedly the regime's heartland.
— Leila Al-Shami (@LeilaShami) December 8, 2024
F**k all the Syria "experts" who said Syrians supported the regime. They lied to you for years. This regime was despised by the vast majority who suffered its tyranny. pic.twitter.com/GeunLqmwwe
