ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - In cities across the country, Syrians on Saturday celebrated the 14th anniversary of the revolution that last December succeeded in toppling the Baathist regime.
The army flew helicopters over Umayyad Square in Damascus, dropping flowers on people below, state media SANA reported. It was a striking change from the barrel bombs dropped from helicopters by the regime during the years of conflict.
The celebratory atmosphere was broken by a deadly explosion in Latakia where at least three people were killed and 12 others injured, according to SANA. The cause of the blast is not immediately known.
Latakia is a city on Syria’s Mediterranean coast where reported massacres a week ago left an estimated 1,500 people dead as government-affiliated forces and armed groups responded to an attack by loyalists to the fallen Baath regime.
The long uprising against Assad came to a quick end when a coalition of rebels launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. Their victory culminated with the capture of Damascus as former president Bashar al-Assad fled the country in early December, ending over five decades of Baathist rule.
“After five decades of one-man rule and 14 years of conflict, we need to ensure a stable and prosperous Syria in which Syrians can realize their legitimate aspirations," spokesperson for the United Nations special envoy to Syria Jenifer Fenton said on Friday.
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), which is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), also honored the “sacrifices of the Syrian people.”
“On the 14th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution, we honor the sacrifices of the Syrian people. They rose up demanding freedom, dignity, and justice. Their struggle was against an authoritarian regime that had deprived them of their rights for decades,” read a statement from the council.
“Today, Syria faces a critical juncture. Following the fall of al-Assad’s regime last December, the country is marked by significant challenges. Violence continues to plague some areas. The lasting effects of years of conflicts and divisions are still deeply felt across the country,” it said, calling for an immediate nationwide ceasefire.
The SDF, which have signed an agreement with Damascus to integrate their forces into the national army, have since December been fending off attacks by Turkish-backed armed groups on Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge on the Euphrates River.
The new authorities in Damascus have adopted a temporary constitution that sets a five-year transition period. It has been harshly criticized, especially by the country’s Kurdish and Christian communities, who say it perpetuates the regime’s centralized rule and marginalizes minorities.
