The opposition group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has claimed to have taken control of Damascus, forcing Bashar al-Assad to flee Syria. This development has been widely celebrated by Muslims worldwide, as Bashar is regarded as a tyrant responsible for years of civilian slaughter since the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. Bashar has received support from Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah, while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra before rebranding, has been backed with financial, military, and logistical aid from the United States, Turkey, and Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Initially, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was linked to al-Qaeda.