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 under present a day-by-day overview of territorial management.
Construct-up to November 27
Earlier than November 27, Syrian opposition forces had been largely 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 under exhibits Syria’s territorial management earlier than November 27.
On the bottom, 4 major teams had 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 elements of jap Syria.
- HTS and different allied insurgent teams: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the biggest 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 sooner or later 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 stated their assaults had been in retaliation for latest Syrian authorities assaults on cities in Idlib, together with Ariha and Sarmada, which had resulted in a number of civilian casualties in latest weeks.
By the night, the group had seized no 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 jap 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 elements of Aleppo metropolis after detonating two automotive bombs and interesting authorities forces on the town’s western edge, in keeping with a Syrian warfare monitor and fighters. Syrian state tv stated Russia was offering Syria’s navy with air assist.
Day 4 – November 30
By Saturday, photographs and movies started circulating on-line exhibiting insurgent fighters taking images subsequent to the traditional Citadel of Aleppo as they superior via the 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 gradual the advance of opposition fighters.
In his first public feedback for the reason that start of the offensive, President al-Assad stated his forces would proceed to defend the federal government’s “stability and territorial integrity in opposition to 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 latest historical past, the town additionally held symbolic significance.
Day 7 – December 3
The Syrian authorities stated its counteroffensive had pushed again opposition fighters making an attempt to advance into Hama. In distinction, opposition forces stated 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 the town of Hama. Alkharboutli, 32, had lengthy documented Syria’s 13-year warfare.
Day 9 -December 5
By Thursday, the rebels introduced they’d full management of Hama. Seizing the 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 way in which 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 stated Syrian authorities forces had carried out a number of air strikes on the primary highway in an effort to cease the opposition’s advance.
Day 11 – December 7
On Saturday, southern forces began shifting and Deraa-based opposition fighters stated they seized management of the town, the fourth strategic loss for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in per week. Deraa, which lies just a few 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.
