Syrians are celebrating the anniversary of the overthrow of the al-Assad dynasty’s repressive 50-year rule.

The country heralded the end of Bashar al-Assad’s reign on Monday. However, Syria is left facing a significant challenge to heal following 14 years of civil war.

Al-Assad’s downfall came as a shock, even to the rebels who unseated him.

In late November 2024, groups in the country’s northwest – led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group whose then leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is now the country’s interim president – launched an offensive on the city of Aleppo, aiming to recapture it from the al-Assad government’s forces.

They were startled when the Syrian army collapsed with little resistance, first in Aleppo, then in the key cities of Hama and Homs. That left the road to Damascus ope

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