Syrians celebrate fall of Assad Regime in Hama, reflect on 1982 Massacre

Syrians celebrated the downfall of the Ba'ath Party's 61-year regime and the escape of regime leader Bashar al-Assad from the country in the central square of Hama with new Syrian flags, regime songs, music, and fireworks. Syrians began gathering in Hama's city square in the evening. As the iconic song 'My Paradise Homeland,' which has become a symbol of the Syrian revolution, played from the stage, those gathered in the square sang along. Syrians of all ages waved three-star Syrian flags in the square. In the evening, Syrians celebrated the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime with chants and slogans. On February 2, 1982, special forces under the command of Rifaat al-Assad, the brother of the then-Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, besieged the city of Hama to suppress an uprising launched by the Muslim Brotherhood against the regime. They first bombed the city from the air, followed by artillery strikes and mass executions, killing tens of thousands over the course of 27 days. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), at least 30,000 civilians were killed in the massacre that took place in Hama from February 2-28, 1982, and at least 17,000 detained civilians were never heard from again. The families of those believed to have been taken to the Tadmur (Palmyra) Prison in Homs and later disappeared believe their loved ones were killed. According to the SNHR report, areas such as El-Asida, Es Sehhane, El-Kilayniyye, Ez Zenbak, El-Hayriyya, and El Başuriyye were heavily targeted by regime forces in both air and ground attacks, while nearly one-third of the city center was destroyed. The massacre also resulted in the destruction of 88 mosques, three churches, and numerous historical sites.