Fire crews battle to contain a large fire in Canterbury's West Melton overnight and Syria celebrates the end of the Assad family's 50-year regime. Video / NZ Herald
Syrians have stormed Bashar al-Assad’s abandoned presidential palace in Damascus, looting the dictator’s belongings, posing behind his desk, and uncovering his large collection of luxury cars.
His army appears to have dissolved, offering limited resistance in the face of the rebel advance, and allowing rebel fighters and civilians to enter his presidential palace unchallenged.
As rebel groups took control of the Syrian capital, videos emerged showing fighters and civilians entering the sprawling New Shaab Palace and combing through its rooms and grounds.
90% of Syrians are under poverty line. Meanwhile, this is a small section of Assad’s garage. pic.twitter.com/4HROOfxjTN
Men, women and children can be seen touring the palace and its large garden, with rooms completely empty, save some furniture and a portrait of Assad thrown on the floor.
One clip shows looters exhibiting Assad’s collection of luxury vehicles. The video gives a tour of a large hangar filled with millions of dollars worth of cars including Ferraris, Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces, BMWs, Mercedes, and what appears to be a Bugatti Veyron.
In another video, two rebel fighters can be seen firing automatic rifles into the sky as they enter the New Shaab Palace, which sits on a hill overlooking the west of Damascus.
I love watching the video footage of jubilant and outraged Syrians looting deposed President Bashar al-Assad’s palace, carting off Louis Vuitton-branded boxes and other luxury goods after the regime’s stunning collapse and Assad’s flight from the country.pic.twitter.com/nX50OivzWb
Another clip shows five fighters scouting through the marble-floored building, which covers 510,000sq m and comprises three six-storey buildings.
Expensive paintings and wooden furniture can be seen decorating its halls. As fighters walk into one of the en-suite bathrooms, the video shows a jacuzzi.
In the supposed master bedroom, the telephone remained functioning and the fighters also discovered a list of phone numbers, seemingly left behind by the fleeing dictator.
An aerial photo shows the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus' Mount Qasyoun on December 8. Photo / AFP
Video shows a large hangar filled with millions of dollars worth of cars at deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's presidential palace in Damascus, Syria. Photo / via X
In addition to scouting the interior of the palace, one video on X, formerly Twitter, also shows fighters smashing Assad’s family portraits, while another shows a person carrying an orange Louis Vuitton box as they walk up a flight of stairs.
At another of Assad’s palaces in Aleppo, rebel fighters found a picture of the Syrian leader as a young man, wearing nothing but a pair of Speedos.
A photo of Bashar al-Assad, far left, in a swimsuit. Photo / via X
In the night-time photo, Assad can be seen posing on the side of a boat with another man and two women, who were also wearing swimsuits. Their identities are unclear. In response to the picture, one Syrian woman wrote on X: “May Allah forgive you, you ruined our morning with this sight”.
Video shows a large hangar filled with millions of dollars worth of cars. Photo / via X
Back in Damascus, some people were seen taking photos of their children inside the palace, seemingly unfazed by the armed fighters roaming the halls.
“I came for revenge; they oppressed us in incredible ways,” Abu Omar, 44, told France’s AFP news agency. “I am taking pictures because I am so happy to be here in the middle of his house.”
The looting of Assad’s palace in Damascus comes after rebel groups launched a lightning offensive last week and quickly took control of the country’s largest cities, ending the Assad family’s decades of rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.
Until Assad’s government fell, his residence and the presidential palace had been strictly off limits to ordinary citizens.
As he moved from room to room, Abu Omar said he felt overjoyed. “I no longer feel afraid,” he added. “My only concern is that we unite [as Syrians] and build this country together.”
