Islamist rebels in Syria have stormed the presidential palace of Bashar al-Assad in chaotic scenes, posing at his desk and uncovering a massive fleet of exotic cars, including Mercedes, Porches, Audis and Ferraris.
Videos shared on social media show looters touring a large garage in the sprawling New Shaab Palace, filled with expensive cars from the deposed dictator’s private stash.
One eagle-eye commenter pointed to a coveted Mercedes-Benz with gullwing doors, The NY Post reports.
SUVs, motorcycles, ATVs, and what appears to be an armored truck also awaited the rebels, who walked through the sprawling mansion taking selfies, firing guns into the air and making off with items, videos shared on X show.
Another clip showed men hauling away furniture and artwork while women in full hijab picked through the dishes and bed linens.
One video shows what appears to be an armoury stocked with scores of submachine guns.
The palace is a fortress made of stone and marble perched on a hill on the outskirts of Damascus; the Guardian once described it as an “echoing monument to dictator decor.”
Rebel soldiers found it abandoned after declaring that they had taken Damascus in a lightning offensive on Sunday. The coup sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing, ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria, in which the dictator and his family lived like emperors while the people languished.
Bashar-al Assad’s private fleet of cars at the abandoned presidential palace in #Damascus.
Discernible among them a few Toyota Land Cruisers, a Ferrari F50, a Ferrari F430, a Lamborghini LM002, a Lamborghini Diablo SV, an Aston Martin, numerous Lexus
Assad absconded by plane and has since arrived in Moscow where he and his family have been granted political asylum, Russian state media agencies report, citing sources in the Kremlin.
The RIA Novosti news agency reports that the Kremlin is in contact with the leaders of the armed Syrian opposition, “who have guaranteed security to the Russian military bases and diplomatic establishments in Syria”.
The agency quotes an unnamed source in the Kremlin as saying Russia has “always called for a search for a political solution in the Syrian crisis”.
“We hope the Syrian dialogue will continue in the interests of the Syrian people and the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Syria,” the source said.
