فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Syria witnessed a significant historical event just days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as opposition fighters burned and destroyed the tomb of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in his hometown of Qardaha in Latakia governorate.
Footage showed armed men celebrating inside the burned mausoleum, raising the flag of the Syrian revolution. The shrine is located in a predominantly Alawite area, the sect to which the Assad family belongs, and was heavily guarded.
Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria with an iron fist for three decades from 1971 until his death in 2000, succeeded by his son Bashar who fled the country before Damascus fell to the opposition last Sunday.
The burning of the tomb came in the wake of a lightning offensive launched by opposition factions starting November 27, which led to the fall of the capital Damascus and ended the Assad family’s rule that lasted for more than 50 years.
In an attempt to control the situation, the leadership of the opposition factions called on “military formations and civilians” in the coastal region to “not confiscate public equipment, weapons, or vehicles,” warning residents against “any attempt to approach or enter public institutions or military barracks, under penalty of accountability and punishment.”
It’s worth noting that the shrine also houses the graves of other members of the Assad family, including Bashar’s brother Bassel, who was supposed to succeed his father before he died in a car accident in 1994.
This event represents the end of an era in modern Syrian history and reflects the magnitude of change the country is experiencing after decades of Assad family rule.
