Where is Bashar al-Assad? Rumours swirl despite denials he’s fled Damascus

The temper in Damascus seems to be one among confusion and worry, with many individuals unable to seek out out precisely what’s going on as insurgent factions strategy ever nearer.

In a number of suburbs, symbols of the ability of the Assad dynasty have been torn down or toppled.

The inside ministry says it is creating a hoop of metal across the capital. However authorities forces have notably failed to supply any such defence in cities, cities and villages which have fallen to insurgent factions throughout the nation.

Rumours are swirling over the whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, with individuals logging flights out and in of Damascus to work out whether or not he might need left.

His workplace has denied all such stories, saying he is nonetheless at work in Damascus, however there was no signal of him.

Syria has remained a divided nation, with the deep scars of the years of civil struggle unhealed, regardless of the obvious stalemate and establishment that had been in place for round 4 years till only a week-and-a-half in the past.

Assad’s pariah standing had come to an finish amongst his fellow Arab leaders, however no progress had been made inside Syria in direction of constructing a viable future for its individuals within the aftermath of struggle.

However the presence of President Assad had appeared to be a seal, nevertheless unsatisfactory, on the lethal battle that had raged for years.

If he’s now out of the image, an influence vacuum will re-emerge, with no clear indication of how it will likely be crammed. There isn’t a unified opposition that’s in place to take over. The insurgent factions have a historical past of division and internecine preventing.

The group that has spearheaded the brand new rebellion towards President Assad has its basis within the extremism of Al Qaeda. Its chief has tried to reassure different communities in Syria that it’ll not impose its ideology on them, however they continue to be understandably apprehensive of what would possibly come.

There will probably be wider fears that Syria might plunge into an much more calamitous state, with numerous factions battling one another for management. In an already desperately unstable and risky area, that might feed extra harmful unrest.

However for now no less than, many Syrians each inside and out of doors the county are united by a hope that many felt they could by no means expertise once more – that they could have the ability to return to their houses, lengthy misplaced within the bitter struggle that Assad’s violent repression of protest and dissent initially triggered.