Inside bloodthirsty Assad’s TREASURE ROOM at his palace with signed photo of the Queen, golden chests & award from FIFA
REBELS have stormed tyrant Assad's treasure room in his palace, discovering a signed photo of the Queen, golden chests, paintings - and even a FIFA award.
Shamed tyrant Bashar al-Assad fled Syria as the Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus, appearing to leave behind some of his most prized possessions.
Assad's Presidential Palace was ransacked, looters taking his and UK-born wife Asma’s personal possessions.
Rebel fighters sieved through the personal souvenirs of the tyrant in the Palace known as Qasr al-Shaab - or the "People's Palace".
Here they found a bizarre array of belongings that the overthrown leader and his wife left behind before fleeing to Russia where they were granted political asylum by pal Putin.
One image shows a room filled with various paintings and art pieces, with shelves filled with files, boxes, and even vases.
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As they continued to browse Assad's belongings, the rebels were able to find more bizarre items that had been left behind.
One is a signed picture of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip from 2002.
Another item is a gold FIFA award mounted on a wooden plaque.
From 2005, it is awarded to the national team of Syria "to commemorate its participation in the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands".
Gold seemed to be a favourite for Assad, with various plates, drawers and boxes all seeming to be made of the ultra-luxurious material.
Ordinary Syrians continued to celebrate the end of the rule of Assad, whose family’s 53-year dynasty was brought down in a 12-day offensive.
The mansion of his brother Major General Maher al-Assad, who led a Syrian Army unit, was also turned over.
Footage showed what appeared to be a network of tunnels beneath it with high-arched ceilings, electronic doors and rooms under the house including a fully kitted-out kitchen complete with Pepsi cans and Tetley tea.
The armed wing of rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which brought down Assad, has said it would form a transitional government soon.
Western powers, however, fear a power vacuum that could lead to the resurgence of ISIS.
US jets targeted 75 ISIS targets in the east of Syria to “disrupt, degrade, and defeat” the terror group so it “does not seek to take advantage”.
Diplomats were also wrestling with how best to deal with HTS, an al-Qaeda offshoot led by softly-spoken Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, a jihadist who once praised the 9/11 attackers.
He wants to impose strict Sharia law on Syria.
The White House said it would “work with all the groups in Syria”, while Turkey said developments in the country had “given us a glimmer of hope”.
The prison liberation comes amid a cascade of events that have toppled Assad's 24-year rule.
After seizing Damascus in a swift and decisive offensive, rebel forces declared victory and announced that the city was "free of Assad."
The dictator fled the capital on Sunday, reportedly aboard a plane that disappeared from radars.
He has been given refuge in Moscow and is currently under Russian protection.
The collapse of Assad's regime ignited celebrations across Syria.
In the capital, thousands poured into the streets, waving rebel flags and lighting flares.
Statues of Assad and his late father, Hafez, were toppled in symbolic acts of defiance.
At Assad’s presidential palace, rebels filmed themselves looting valuables, including luxury vehicles and designer goods.
IRON STORM
It comes as Israel pounded military planes and ships belonging to toppled president Assad with 300 airstrikes on Syria since Sunday.
Israel said the barrage of strikes was to stop the regime's weapons and military craft “falling into terrorist hands” following the rebel victory in Syria.
Meanwhile, Israel has denied reports IDF tanks have been spotted less than 20 miles from the capital Damascus - six miles beyond the agreed buffer zone.
The intense airstrikes over the past 48 hours were concentrated in western and southern Syria, near Damascus, and targeted both air and naval bases.
Israeli forces said their strikes in the early hours of Tuesday focussed on air defence systems and missile stockpiles.
On Monday evening, Syrian security forces said Israeli Air Force (IAF) jets had struck at least three major Syrian air bases that housed dozens of military aircraft.
Strikes were reported on the Qamishli airbase, northeast Syria, and the Shinshar base in the west.
SEDNAYA PRISON LIBERATED
Years of abuse, torture and death endured by inmates in the prison has finally being exposed after the rebels stormed Damascus and overthrew Assad's regime.
Sednaya had become synonymous with Assad's reign of tyranny over the past couple of decades.
Thousands of Syrians gathered on Monday outside a jail synonymous with the worst atrocities of Assad's rule to search for relatives - many of whom have spent years in the Sednaya Prison.
Crowds of freed prisoners wandered the streets of the capital distinguishable by the marks of their ordeal.
They were maimed by torture, weakened by illness and emaciated by hunger.
Some held at the horrific prison of Sednaya say they were raped, and in some cases, forced to rape other inmates.
A regular form of punishment was some kind of torture and severe beatings from guards, it's claimed, which led to individuals suffering life-changing damage like disabilities or death.
Floors of cells were coated in blood and pus from tortured prisoners, according to a 2017 Amnesty report, with the bodies of dead prisoners collected like rubbish at 9am each morning by guards.
Detainees were also forced to follow horrific rules as they were forced as they were deprived the basic necessities of food, water and medicine.
When food would be delivered it would often be cruelly scattered across cell floors by guards with a mixture of blood and dirt.
A human iron press was even discovered that was allegedly used to crush prisoners to death in Sednaya - unveiled in videos shared by rebels as they liberated prisoners.
They also found dozens of red rope nooses used for mass hangings in an execution room.
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Other disturbing accounts say the mass hangings occurred once or twice a week on a Monday and Wednesday - chillingly in the middle of the night.
The unbelievable practices, which human rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, were authorised at the highest level of the Syrian government under Assad.
What is Sednaya Prison?
By Annabel Bate, Foreign News Reporter
SEDNAYA Prison - otherwise known as the Human Slaughterhouse - was a military prison near Damascus, Syria.
Operated by the government of Syrian Arab Republic, the hellhole prison was used to hold thousands of inmates that were civilian detainees, anti-government rebels and political prisoners.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) estimated in January 2021 that an overwhelming 30,000 detainees were horrifically executed under the Assad regime in Sednaya.
Guards would use torture as a killing technique, as well as have mass executions.
Some held at the horrific prison of Sednaya say they were raped, and in some cases, forced to rape other inmates.
A regular form of punishment was some kind of torture and sever beatings from guards, it's claimed, which led to individuals suffering life-changing damage like disabilities or death.
Floors of cells were coated in blood and pus from tortured prisoners, according to a 2017 Amnesty report, with the bodies of dead prisoners collected like rubbish at 9am each morning by guards.
Detainees were also forced to follow horrific rules as they were forced as they were deprived the basic necessities of food, water and medicine.
When food would be delivered it would often be cruelly scattered across cell floors by guards with a mixture of blood and dirt.
Other disturbing accounts say the mass hangings occurred once or twice a week on a Monday and Wednesday - chillingly in the middle of the night.
The unbelievable practices, which human rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, were authorised at the highest level of the Syrian government under Assad.