Iraq evacuates its embassy in Syrian capital

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Iraq has evacuated its embassy in Damascus, the capital of neighboring Syrian, the Iraqi News Agency reported on Sunday.

The Iraqi government has yet to make an official statement on Sunday’s dramatic collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, which had ruled Syria for decades.

In the wake of Damascus coming under the control of anti-regime forces, both they and the remnants of the government left in the capital have urged that official buildings and property be respected, with no damage done.

- Road to Assad regime collapse

Clashes broke out between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

On Nov. 30, anti-regime groups took control of most of the center of Aleppo from regime forces, and on the same day, they gained control over the entire Idlib province. Last Thursday, after fierce clashes, the groups took the city center of Hama from regime forces.

Anti-regime groups captured some settlements in the strategically important province of Homs, a gateway to the capital Damascus, and started to advance there.

On Friday, armed opposition groups launched an operation in the Daraa province on Syria's border with Jordan and recaptured the city center from the regime forces after clashes.

On Saturday, the entire province of Suwayda in southern Syria also came under the control of opposition groups. On the same day, local opposition groups in Quneitra also took control of the provincial center.

In the province of Homs, which leads to the capital, anti-regime forces took control of the provincial center on Saturday.

Groups advancing against Assad regime forces entered the southern suburbs of Damascus later on Saturday. Regime forces also withdrew from the Defense and Interior ministries and the international airport in Damascus.

As anti-regime armed groups started to dominate the capital, the Assad regime on Sunday morning quickly lost all control of Damascus.

Separately, in Operation Dawn of Freedom launched by the opposition Syrian National Army against the terrorist organization PKK/YPG in rural areas of Aleppo on Dec. 1, the Tel Rifaat district center was liberated from terrorism.