TUNIS, December 9. /TASS/. At least one person died and 260 others were injured in a crowd crush in Damascus during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the country’s interim government's Health Ministry reported.
The ministry stated that "rescue teams provided medical assistance to 247 people at the scene, while 18 others were taken to the hospital." According to its information, a 17-year-old man died of suffocation in the crowd crush.
Syria TV reported that on Monday, local authorities advised Damascus residents to avoid visiting the central Umayyad Square. Festivities celebrating one year since the change of government began there in the morning. A corresponding instruction was published following reports of accidents due to overcrowding at the Umayyad Square, where tens of thousands of Syrians gathered.
On December 8, major cities in Syria held military parades and large public celebrations. The main parade took place on Mazzeh Avenue, one of the capital’s key transport arteries. Columns of military equipment passed along it, with helicopters up in the sky.
In late November 2024, members of armed opposition groups launched a major offensive against the Syrian government positions. They entered Damascus on December 8, prompting the retreat of Syrian army units from the city. Bashar Assad resigned as president and fled the country with his family. Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (outlawed in Russia), became the de facto leader of Syria.