Syrian insurgents, led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday. This marked the end of his family’s decades-long rule following more than 13 years of civil war. Assad was reportedly forced to flee the capital.
According to Reuters, rebel forces encountered little significant military resistance while taking control of Damascus. ‘We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains,’ the insurgents proclaimed after liberating prisoners from a large jail on the outskirts of the city.
Leading rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani declared that there was no turning back, reaffirming the group’s commitment to the path they began in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings. ‘The future is ours,’ he stated in a message broadcast on Syria’s state television.
HTS, formerly known as the Nusra Front and once a branch of al-Qaeda, has long been designated a terrorist organization by both the US and Russia. Founded by al-Golani, the group officially severed ties with al-Qaeda in 2016.
‘HTS, formerly known as the Nusra Front and once a branch of al-Qaeda, has long been designated a terrorist organization by both the US and Russia’
In recent years, HTS has attempted to position itself as ‘moderate,’ but most experts still consider it as a hardline jihadist organization. In 2022, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom stated that despite the group’s efforts to ‘rebrand,’ HTS continues to ‘restrict religious freedom’ and pose a significant threat to the safety of religious minorities, according to Sky News.
Shift in the Balance of Power
The fall of Assad could trigger a significant power shift in the Middle East. The Syrian president had long been supported by Russia and Iran, making these developments a major blow to both powers’ regional influence.
Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia redeployed a substantial number of forces previously stationed in Syria to the Ukrainian front. This reduction in Russian military support was evident in the success of the quick rebel offensive, which capitalized on the diminished presence of Assad’s key ally.
Following the rebels’ capture of Damascus, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Assad had resigned from the presidency after negotiations with various parties involved in the conflict and had left the country, though it did not disclose his destination:
‘As a result of talks between Assad and a range of participants in the conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he took the decision to resign from his presidential post and leave the country, giving instructions to proceed with the peaceful transfer of power,’ the ministry stated. It emphasized that ‘Russia did not take part in these talks.’
The ministry also noted that Russian soldiers stationed at bases in Syria are on high alert but face no immediate threats.
The United States also responded to the developments. ‘President [Joe] Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners,’ the White House said in a statement.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump was far less restrained. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that Assad had fled Syria after losing Russia’s backing. ‘There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started and could go on forever,’ he stressed.
Fake Claims by the Hungarian Opposition
The whereabouts of Bashar al-Assad remain unclear. However, the events have sparked the imagination of Hungarian opposition journalists and politicians, with the opposition portal Magyar Hang managing to publish the fake news report of the year. On Sunday morning, the outlet claimed in a headline that Assad and his family had landed at Budapest Airport on Saturday evening aboard a Syrianair flight. To support the story, they published a photo of the Syrianair plane, reportedly taken by a reader.
The problem, however, is that the photo was neither taken at Liszt Ferenc International Airport nor in 2024. According to a 2012 report by Al Jazeera, the plane in the photo was en route from Moscow to Damascus when it was intercepted and forced to land by the Turkish air force.
Both Budapest Airport and the Hungarian government swiftly denied the allegations. In a statement issued on Sunday morning, the airport emphasized that it had neither received nor served any aircraft bearing the Syrian flag. ‘These types of statements and rumours have the potential to undermine public confidence in Budapest Airport,’ the statement read.
On behalf of the government, State Secretary for International Relations and Communication Zoltán Kovács also confirmed that the claims were entirely false.
The fake news claim was quickly picked up by Péter Magyar, leader of the largest opposition party, the Tisza Party, the opposition’s newest political messiah. In a lengthy post, Magyar levelled harsh accusations against the government, basing his claims on Magyar Hang’s false report, which even the outlet later acknowledged as incorrect.
‘We demand that the government disclose what support Viktor Orbán has provided in recent years, and especially in the past week, to the fallen Syrian dictator, whose hands are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. We demand full transparency about who arrived in Budapest from Syria on the secret plane last night,’ Magyar wrote.
Protecting Persecuted Christians
Reacting to the fall of Syria, Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó highlighted Hungary’s commitment to the stability of the Middle East and its special focus on supporting Christian communities in the region through ongoing humanitarian aid. He noted that contact had been established with Hungarians residing in Syria, and no requests for assistance had been received.
Szijjártó also confirmed that while the Hungarian Embassy in Damascus is temporarily closed due to the conflict, its staff remain safe.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hosted Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II at the Carmelite Monastery this week. During their meeting, Orbán reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to supporting the Syrian Christian community. Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Hungarian people for their ongoing support of Christian communities in need.
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