Tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets to celebrate today after the first Friday prayer since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The surprise offensive by the opposition rebel alliance, which took over the capital Damascus last weekend, ended the 53-year rule of the Assad family.
People gathered in the country's major squares and, clapping, showing the victory sign and waving Syrian flags, chanted: “God bless the free Syria.“
“Raise your heads as high as you can, you are now free Syrians“, chanted the crowd gathered after the traditional weekly prayers.
According to witnesses, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus alone. "All the doors were opened for the first time to allow everyone to perform Friday prayers in the mosque," a resident of the capital told DPA.
The leader of the Islamist rebel alliance, Ahmed al-Shareh, better known by his military pseudonym Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, earlier today called on Syrians to come out to celebrate peacefully.
"Celebrate without festive gunfire and do not terrorize people," al-Shareh said in a video message, during which he was wearing a white T-shirt instead of his usual military uniform.
Witnesses from many cities told DPA that strict security measures were in place during the celebrations.
"(Public Security Forces) will deal firmly with anyone who is proven to be involved in shooting during the holiday“, the Syrian opposition groups said in a statement. “We call for peaceful behavior during the demonstrations to maintain the safety of all“, the statement added.
Khaled al-Imam – a resident of the Damascus suburb – Daraya, told DPA that he had come out “to celebrate the victory over the regime of Bashar al-Assad“, during which his two brothers and more than 15 members of his family were killed.
Until his fall on Sunday, Assad had been in power for 24 years and had waged a brutal civil war against rebel groups for more than 13 years.
The war seemed to be at a standstill, and the rebels – defeated in most areas, until a lightning-fast offensive by Islamist groups in late November, which showed that the government's grip on power was much weaker than had been assumed.