Within the early hours of Sunday morning, Syrian opposition fighters introduced that they’d captured the capital, Damascus, and that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the nation.
The bulletins got here hours after the fighters took a fourth strategic metropolis in a lightning offensive that started on November 27.
In simply 11 days, the 24-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad got here to an finish.
The maps beneath present a day-by-day overview of territorial management.
Construct-up to November 27
Earlier than November 27, Syrian opposition forces have been principally confined to their stronghold within the northwestern governorate of Idlib, following a ceasefire brokered in March 2020 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The map beneath exhibits Syria’s territorial management earlier than November 27.
On the bottom, 4 important teams have been competing for management, together with:
- Syrian authorities forces: The military fought alongside the Nationwide Defence Forces, a pro-government paramilitary group, and was supported by Hezbollah, Iran and Russia.
- Syrian Democratic Forces: This Kurdish-dominated, United States-backed group controls components of japanese Syria.
- HTS and different allied insurgent teams: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most important preventing power, was in command of Idlib for years earlier than this offensive.
- Turkish and Turkish-aligned Syrian insurgent forces: The Syrian Nationwide Military is a Turkish-backed insurgent power in northern Syria.
Day 1 – November 27
On Wednesday, November 27, simply at some point after a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon got here into impact, Syrian opposition forces, led by HTS, launched an offensive from their base within the Idlib governorate in northwestern Syria.
The insurgent group mentioned their assaults have been in retaliation for current Syrian authorities assaults on cities in Idlib, together with Ariha and Sarmada, which had resulted in a number of civilian casualties in current weeks.
By the night, the group had seized not less than 19 cities and villages from pro-government forces, together with navy websites, as they pushed into western Aleppo governorate.
The Syrian regime responded by shelling rebel-held areas whereas the Russian air power carried out air strikes.
Day 2 – November 28
By Thursday, the rebels had captured extra territory and expelled authorities forces from villages in japanese Idlib, then started pushing in the direction of the M5 freeway, a strategic highway that leads south to the capital, Damascus, about 300km (186 miles) away.
Day 3 – November 29
By Friday, insurgent forces had entered components of Aleppo metropolis after detonating two automobile bombs and fascinating authorities forces on town’s western edge, in accordance with a Syrian battle monitor and fighters. Syrian state tv mentioned Russia was offering Syria’s navy with air assist.
Day 4 – November 30
By Saturday, photos and movies started circulating on-line exhibiting insurgent fighters taking pictures subsequent to the traditional Citadel of Aleppo as they superior by means of town.
After capturing Aleppo, the rebels superior south, in the direction of Hama.
Day 5 – December 1
By Sunday, Syrian and Russian jets intensified their air assaults in Idlib metropolis and positions in Aleppo as authorities forces tried to sluggish the advance of opposition fighters.
In his first public feedback for the reason that start of the offensive, President al-Assad mentioned his forces would proceed to defend the federal government’s “stability and territorial integrity towards terrorists and their supporters”.
Day 6 – December 2
Fierce battles continued within the outskirts of Hama as Syrian opposition fighters superior to the strategic central metropolis – Syria’s fourth largest.
As the location of essentially the most brutal politically motivated bloodbath in Syria’s current historical past, town additionally held symbolic significance.
Day 7 – December 3
The Syrian authorities mentioned its counteroffensive had pushed again opposition fighters trying to advance into Hama. In distinction, opposition forces mentioned they captured extra Syrian troops and Iran-backed fighters in fierce battles.
Day 8 – December 4
Opposition fighters continued to push additional south as they captured extra cities within the Hama governorate.
A regime air strike killed Syrian photographer Anas Alkharboutli, who was working for German information company dpa, close to town of Hama. Alkharboutli, 32, had lengthy documented Syria’s 13-year battle.
Day 9 -December 5
By Thursday, the rebels introduced they’d full management of Hama. Seizing town introduced them one step nearer to severing the coastal cities of Tartous and Latakia from the remainder of the nation.
Latakia is a key political stronghold for al-Assad and Syria’s Alawite group, in addition to a strategic Russian naval base.
Day 10 -December 6
The seize of Hama paved the best way to Homs, Syria’s third-largest metropolis.
Homs, a key crossroads metropolis linking Damascus to Syria’s coastal areas, lies roughly 46km (29 miles) south of Hama.
Al Jazeera’s Omar al-Hajj mentioned Syrian authorities forces had performed a number of air strikes on the principle highway in an effort to cease the opposition’s advance.
Day 11 – December 7
On Saturday, southern forces began transferring and Deraa-based opposition fighters mentioned they seized management of town, the fourth strategic loss for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in per week. Deraa, which lies only some kilometres from the border with neighbouring Jordan, is called the cradle of the 2011 revolution.
The identical day, insurgent fighters got here inside kilometres of the capital, Damascus. By the night, they’d reached its suburbs, and within the early hours of the morning on December 8, fighters captured the capital.
