Assad’s palace is on fire, previously the Syrians looted it

The Saudi channel broadcasts footage on its social networks, which it claims documents the entry of Syrian rebels into the presidential palace in Damascus. The newspaper Le Parisien was unable to independently verify these images.

The Syrians were supposed to take away furniture and valuables from the residence. Later they were to set him on fire. The first information says that the reception room in the palace was completely burnt down, the agency is investigating other reports on the spot.

The rebels also broke into the residence of the Italian ambassador in Damascus, Reuters reported. “Today (Sunday) morning, an armed group entered the garden of the ambassador’s residence. They took three cars away. Neither the ambassador nor the police officers at the embassy were injured,” said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

In the meantime, the leader of the Islamist insurgents, Abu Mohammad Julani, arrived in Damascus. “The future is ours,” he said in a statement read on Syrian state television afterward. He added that there is no going back and that the group is determined to continue the journey they started in 2011 during the so-called Arab Spring.

A curfew was introduced in the capital from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time. The curfew will therefore last 13 hours, writes the newspaper Le Parisien. On Sunday afternoon, the streets of the city really began to empty.

Syria is still divided between various factions and rebel groups fighting against the government of President Bashar Assad.

On Sunday morning, the Syrian rebels announced that they had liberated Damascus, overthrown the Assad regime and released the prisoners. These statements were quickly denied by the Syrian government, which says it is continuing operations against terrorists.

Assad was supposed to fly out of Damascus airport on Sunday morning when the city was occupied by rebels. However, the plane, which took off in the morning and headed for the coast, where the Alawites live and where the Russian base is located, disappeared from the radar after a short time. There is speculation about a crash, and even about a possible downing of the machine.

On Sunday, the Syrian state television first continuously broadcast a stern text message about the end of the regime, but later the representatives of the rebels began to speak from the screens.

“With the grace of God, Damascus was liberated. The tyrant Bashar Assad was overthrown. All those wrongfully imprisoned were released from regime prisons. We call on all comrades and citizens to preserve all property of the free Syrian state. Long live Syria, free and proud, for Syrians of all faiths,” said one of the prominent men surrounded by a group of others.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (MZV) warned Czech citizens against traveling to Syria on Sunday. And at the same time, it called on those who are already in its territory to leave the country immediately. Currently, the Drozd system, which is a register intended for Czech citizens abroad, registers four Czech persons residing in Syria.