Video | Syrian rebels enter Assad vacated Al-Rawda and Muhajreen palaces, loot belongings, tear family portraits

Syria Civil War: On Sunday, Syrians gained access to the previously restricted palaces of the al-Assad family in Damascus, following the seizure of the capital by rebel groups. This marked the end of over fifty years of the family’s autocratic rule and the removal of Bashar al-Assad from the presidency. Verified videos from Reuters showed citizens exploring the luxurious Al-Rawda and Muhajreen palaces, taking photos and collecting valuable items such as furniture and ornaments.

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In footage from the Al-Rawda Palace, children were seen running through the grand hallways, while men transported chairs and moved trunks across the palace’s ornate floors. Meanwhile, visuals from the Muhajreen Palace depicted groups of people walking through rooms with marble floors and tall wooden doors. Some individuals were seen carrying vases and decorative items, as others emptied cupboards and cabinets.

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Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marched into Damascus, and eventually announced that they had “freed Damascus” and overthrown Assad’s regime while freeing all jailed prisoners.

Videos showed people entering the Al-Rawda Presidential Palace, as children ran through the grand rooms and men slid a large trunk across the ornate floor. They also smashed Assad’s family portraits in the presidential palace. According to a report by AFP, the palace’s reception hall was set ablaze by the rebels.

Groups of Syrians also strolled through the palace, wandering from room to room, posing for photographs, and with some taking items of furniture or ornaments. Several men also carried smart chairs over their shoulders. In a storeroom, cupboards were ransacked and objects strewn across the floor.

A video from the Muhajreen Palace showed rebels walking across a pristine white marble floor and through tall wooden doors. One man was seen holding a vase, while a large cabinet stood open, its contents removed, leaving the doors ajar.

A curfew has been declared in Damascus after people took to the streets there and elsewhere to celebrate the downfall of al-Assad’s government.

Russian state media reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow and has been granted asylum after the Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that he stepped down and left the country.

The Assad family has lost control of Syria after more than 50 years of a brutal dictatorship.