Syrian president visits Daraa for 1st time since fall of Assad regime

ANKARA

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in the southern province of Daraa on Friday, marking his first visit to the city since the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The visit was announced through a post on Daraa Governorate’s official Telegram channel, which confirmed al-Sharaa’s arrival in the provincial capital and highlighted the warm popular reception that greeted him.

Images released by the governorate showed large crowds lining the streets of Daraa city to welcome the president.

Daraa is widely regarded as the "cradle of the revolution," as it was the site of the first popular protests against Bashar al-Assad’s rule on March 18, 2011.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the regime of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.

The new Syrian administration officially appointed al-Sharaa as president on Jan. 29, 2025, to lead a five-year transitional phase aimed at stabilizing the country and overseeing political reform.