The Middle East is currently experiencing one of its most tumultuous periods. Amidst battles on several fronts, rebels have seized control of Syria, and President Bashar al-Assad has sought political asylum in Russia with his family. Images reminiscent of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are emerging from Syria.
Syria becomes the fourth nation where the President fled after rebel capture. Images and videos depict people looting and creating chaos inside the Presidential Palace, similar to the scenes witnessed in the presidential residences of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Kabul.
Source: aajtak
The images show crowds storming the Presidential Palace, eager to grab anything they can. Everywhere, items are scattered, while people search in the darkness with flashlights.
Source: aajtak
One image captures a woman exiting the palace adorned in designer clothes, rejoicing as she carries a load on her shoulders.
Source: aajtak
Beyond looting, crowds pose for photos on the luxury couches within the palace.
Source: aajtak
The Arab Spring in 2011 altered the landscape, as Syrians demanded democracy, civil liberties, and the release of political prisoners. Al-Assad termed these protests as foreign conspiracies and labelled protestors as terrorists, leading to a severe military crackdown that intensified the dissent, which soon escalated into an armed conflict.
The surge of crowds inside the Presidential Palace, spreading unrest, triggers memories of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh where similar looting occurred.
Source: aajtak
On November 27, opposition fighters launched a substantial offensive against the Syrian army. The first attack occurred between Idlib, controlled by the opposition, and neighboring Aleppo. Three days later, opposition forces captured Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city.
Source: aajtak
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham organization initiated Operation Deterrence of Aggression in Syria. Under Abu Mohammad al-Julani's leadership, HTS, the largest and most organized faction, governed Idlib for years before this significant assault.
Source: aajtak
Where Else Did Coups Occur Before Syria?
On August 5, 2024, after a bout of violence, crowds overran the Prime Minister's residence in Bangladesh, indulging in widespread looting.
Source: aajtak
A coup occurred in Sri Lanka on July 8, 2022, following its bankruptcy declaration. Enraged citizens stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence to loot as he fled the nation.
Source: aajtak
In August 2021, the Taliban seized Afghanistan post the American troop withdrawal announcement, prompting President Ashraf Ghani's flight as the Afghan army capitulated.
Source: aajtak
Following Assad's departure, Syria's Prime Minister proposed handing power to the rebels. PM Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali asserted in a video that he would remain in Syria to collaborate with whoever the people choose to govern.
Within a week, rebels seized four major Syrian cities, including Damascus. The question remains: What lies ahead for Syria? The rebel victory marks the conclusion of Bashar al-Assad's 24-year reign and 13 years of civil war. The capital, Damascus, is now under Hayat al-Sham's control.
