DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — As celebrations kicked off marking the first anniversary on Monday of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad’s regime, Syrians are still struggling to heal after the dynasty’s repressive 50-year rule and a 14-year civil war that killed an estimated half-million people, displaced millions more and left the country battered and divided.
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A Syrian man waves his country flag during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
New Syrian army ride their motorcycles during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Members of the new Syrian army line up in formation during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Powered paragliders fly over a gathering during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad, with Mount Qasioun seen in the background, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A woman waves the Syrian flag as members of the new Syrian army stand in formation during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Fighters from the new Syrian army chant as they march during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Fighters from the new Syrian army march with rocket-propelled grenade launchers during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, greets people as he attends celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) I
Soldiers of the new Syrian army stand in formation before a parade as part of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A child takes a selfie with soldiers of the new Syrian army dressed in camouflage as they gather before a parade, part of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A boy handles a weapon at the "Syrian Revolution Military Exhibition," which opened last week ahead of the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People celebrate and wave Syrian flags as they wait for a parade by the new Syrian army marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syrian men wearing anonymous masks flash victory signs, as they stand on top of their car with its front window covered by an Islamic flag, during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A Syrian man silhouetted by a digital billboard showing the date of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime during celebrations marking the first anniversary, in Damascus , Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Arabic words read: "A history retold and a bond renewed." (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A girl sits on a machine gun as visitors tour the "Syrian Revolution Military Exhibition," which opened last week ahead of the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Riot police stand in formation ahead of a parade by the new Syrian army marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, early Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syrians celebrate the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrians celebrate the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian man fires fireworks during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syrians shout slogans and wave flags outside the Umayyad Mosque before a prayer held ahead of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Wanted portraits of former Syrian president Bashar Assad are displayed in the window of a coffeeshop, in Damascus Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, as Syrians celebrate marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Two boys walk down a street carrying Syrian flags in the war-damaged Damascus suburb of Daraya, Syria, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, ahead of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man waves his country flag during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
New Syrian army ride their motorcycles during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Members of the new Syrian army line up in formation during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Powered paragliders fly over a gathering during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad, with Mount Qasioun seen in the background, in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A woman waves the Syrian flag as members of the new Syrian army stand in formation during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Fighters from the new Syrian army chant as they march during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Fighters from the new Syrian army march with rocket-propelled grenade launchers during a parade marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, greets people as he attends celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) I
Soldiers of the new Syrian army stand in formation before a parade as part of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A child takes a selfie with soldiers of the new Syrian army dressed in camouflage as they gather before a parade, part of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A boy handles a weapon at the "Syrian Revolution Military Exhibition," which opened last week ahead of the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People celebrate and wave Syrian flags as they wait for a parade by the new Syrian army marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syrian men wearing anonymous masks flash victory signs, as they stand on top of their car with its front window covered by an Islamic flag, during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A Syrian man silhouetted by a digital billboard showing the date of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime during celebrations marking the first anniversary, in Damascus , Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Arabic words read: "A history retold and a bond renewed." (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A girl sits on a machine gun as visitors tour the "Syrian Revolution Military Exhibition," which opened last week ahead of the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Riot police stand in formation ahead of a parade by the new Syrian army marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, early Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syrians celebrate the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrians celebrate the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian man fires fireworks during celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syrians shout slogans and wave flags outside the Umayyad Mosque before a prayer held ahead of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Wanted portraits of former Syrian president Bashar Assad are displayed in the window of a coffeeshop, in Damascus Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, as Syrians celebrate marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Two boys walk down a street carrying Syrian flags in the war-damaged Damascus suburb of Daraya, Syria, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, ahead of celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
