Syria Civil War LIVE: Damascus Cancels Flight Ops Till December 18, West Hails Fall Of ‘Barbaric’ Assad Regime

Syria Civil War LIVE: Damascus Cancels Flight Ops Till December 18, West Hails Fall Of ‘Barbaric’ Assad Regime

Syria Civil War LIVE: Damascus on Sunday cancelled all flight operations till December 18 amid the rebel takeover and fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. The West, meanwhile, hailed the president’s exit saying it is “good news” that his “barbaric” rule has ended, but warned that the swiftly developing situation must not descend into chaos.

Gleeful Syrians poured into the streets, celebrating with gunfire as a stunning rebel advance led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, and other opposition fighters reached the capital putting an end to the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule.

Many gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes similar to the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war.

Others gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and the Assad family residence after the president and other top officials vanished, their whereabouts unknown. Russia, a close ally, said he left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions on a peaceful transfer of power.

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Syrian Civil War: Assad Fall ‘Positive, Long-Awaited’, Says EU

The EU’s top diplomat hailed the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and said it pointed to the weakness of some of his supporters, including Russia. “The end of Assad’s dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development. It also shows the weakness of Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran,” Kaja Kallas said in a post on X. She said the EU’s priority was to “ensure security” in the region and pledged to work with “all the constructive partners” in Syria and more broadly across the area. “The process of rebuilding Syria will be long and complicated and all parties must be ready to engage constructively,” she added. AFP

Syrian Civil War: France Hails Fall Of ‘Barbaric’ Assad Regime

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s “barbaric state” in Syria, and sent wishes of peace to the war-torn nation’s people. “The barbaric state has fallen. At last,” he wrote on X. “I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom, and unity.” The country welcomed the fall of Assad following more than a decade of “violent oppression against his own people”, while appealing to Syrians for “unity and reconciliation, and to reject all forms of extremism”, foreign affairs minister spokesman Christophe Lemoine said in a statement. AFP

Syrian Civil War: Germany Welcomes Assad’s Ouster As ‘Good News’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad as “good news” and urged a political solution to stabilise for the war-stricken country. “Bashar al-Assad oppressed his people brutally. He has countless lives on his conscience and has driven numerous people to flee, many of whom have arrived in Germany,” he said. The country’s top diplomat also called the fall of the Syrian leader “a great relief”, while warning against radicalisation. “The end of Assad represents for millions of people in Syria a great relief,” said Annalena Baerbock, adding, “the country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals, whatever form they take.” AFP

Syria Civil War: Damascus Cancels Flight Ops Till December 18

The Damascus International Airport on Sunday cancelled the arrival and departure of flights for all types of aircraft until December 18 amid the swiftly developing situation following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime and the rebel takeover. A notice said all flights at the Damascus airport were suspended until December 18.

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