Opposition forces demolish Hafez al-Assad bust in Syria’s Deraa

Members of the armed Syrian opposition were filmed recently demolishing a bust of the late President Hafez al-Assad in the southern city of Deraa, widely regarded as the “cradle” of the 2011 revolt that led to the almost four-year-old civil war.

Footage of the demolition shows armed opposition fighters from the Southern Front dislodging the bust at a public square with ropes pulled by a vehicle. The fighters are then seen racing to the statue as it crashes to the ground, kicking it while firing rounds into the air.

The footage was released after fighters from the Southern Front captured Sheikh Miskeen in the outskirts of Deraa from the Syrian military’s 82nd airborne division on Sunday.

The 82nd airborne division is regarded as one of the strongest of the regime’s forces operating in the south of the country.

In March 2011, Syrian security forces opened fire on hundreds of youths who marched on Deraa in solidarity with the city after the killing of six civilians, sparking the revolt against the regime.

The civil war that ensued months later has killed more than 200,000 people, according to the United Nations.