Hope and caution in Daraa as Al-Sharaa promotes recovery

Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa made a landmark visit to Daraa on Friday, marking his first trip to the city since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad nearly six months ago.

Daraa, located in southern Syria, is widely regarded as the cradle of the 2011 uprising that sparked the country’s long civil war. The visit was seen as a powerful symbolic gesture of national reconciliation and a step toward stabilizing the region.

The official state news agency SANA released images of President al-Sharaa being welcomed by jubilant crowds. 

He was seen shaking hands with residents and engaging with the local population. Al-Shareh, accompanied by Interior Minister Anas Khattab, also toured the historic Omari Mosque, a site with deep historical and political significance in the Syrian conflict.

According to the presidential office, al-Sharaa held meetings with local civilian and military officials, as well as representatives from the Christian minority community.

Daraa played a central role in the 2011 pro-democracy protests that were violently suppressed by Assad’s regime, igniting a brutal civil war that lasted over a decade.

The city was also a key battlefield during the recent offensive led by a coalition of Islamist rebel factions under the command of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the group now aligned with President al-Sharaa.

Assad was overthrown on December 8, following a series of coordinated attacks across southern and central Syria, bringing an end to his nearly 24-year rule.

The visit signals the new leadership’s attempt to consolidate power and build bridges across communities, as Syria enters a delicate post-conflict phase with hopes of reconstruction and political normalization.