Syrian community in Malaysia marks fall of Assad regime, swaps to rebel flag at embassy

KUALA LUMPUR: The Syrian community in Malaysia gathered to mark the fall of the government led by president Bashar al-Assad.

A video has gone viral, showing Syrians outside the Syrian Embassy here replacing the Assad regime flag with the Syrian rebel flag.

The flag representing Syrian rebels features three horizontal bands in green, white, and black, with three red stars set within the white band. Under the Assad regime, the Syrian national flag consists of three horizontal stripes in red, white, and black, but with two green stars in the white band.

Another video shows the Syrians at the embassy sharing food and praying in gratitude.

One user who goes by Wael Qarssifi shared a video of the celebrations at the Syrian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, saying “No more Assadism, no more forever soon, our Malaysians brothers and sisters will all be welcome to visit us in a free Syria.”

It was reported that Islamist-led rebels declared that they had taken Damascus in a lightning offensive on Sunday (Dec 8), sending Bashar fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria.

Residents in the Syrian capital were seen cheering in the streets, as the rebel factions heralded the departure of “tyrant” Assad, saying: “We declare the city of Damascus free.”

The president’s alleged departure, which was reported by a war monitor, comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group launched its campaign challenging more than five decades of rule by the Assad family.

Bashar, who had ruled Syria since 2000 after his father’s death, has reportedly fled the country following negotiations for a peaceful handover of power, which Russia claimed he had ordered before stepping down.

His tenure was marked by violent suppression of pro-democracy protests starting in 2011, which escalated into a devastating civil war.

The conflict led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions.

People hold Syrian opposition flags as they celebrate in Lafayette Square outside the White House, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, in Washington, U.S., December 8, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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