Rebels seized Damascus from Assad’s government forces with little fightback, rapidly advancing through Aleppo, Hama, and the capital. The conflict in Syria, which began after Assad’s crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011, had been at a stalemate until the recent rebel success. The war saw over 13 million people displaced both within Syria and abroad, contributing to a mass migration into Europe and a right-wing backlash. Celebrations erupted in Damascus as rebels took control, with Syrians swaddled in the opposition flag and toppling statues of the former ruler. The downfall of Assad prompted thousands of Syrian exiles to rally in European cities and to return home, with some shocked by the brutality of the regime’s political prisons. Secret underground jail cells were reported in a notorious military prison outside Damascus. The rebels, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, face uncertainty despite their recent success, with the leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, seeking to project a more moderate image. He renounced international extremism and supports religious tolerance and internal debate. Despite the rebels’ order to lift controls on women’s clothing, many complexities and problems remain as the country grapples with the aftermath of Assad’s downfall.
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