Ammon News - Syrians will mark the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and his iron-fisted rule on Monday.

Official celebrations are planned for the central Umayyad Square in Damascus, which has already been packed with jubilant gatherings ahead of December 8, and elsewhere around the country.

Assad fled Syria for Russia a year ago as armed forces commanded by Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized Damascus, toppling him more than 13 years into the war that spiralled out of an uprising against his rule.

Celebrations have been underway in some parts of Syria for several days: thousands of people filled the streets of Hama on Friday, waving Syria's new flag as they marked the day insurgents led by Sharaa's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group captured the city during their rapid march to Damascus.

In a speech in late November marking the first anniversary of the start of the rebels' victorious campaign, Sharaa - a former al Qaeda commander - urged all Syrians to rally in the squares to show their joy and demonstrate national unity.

Sharaa has ushered in big changes, reshaping Syria's foreign ties as he forged relations with the United States and won support from Gulf Arab states, while turning away from Assad's backers Iran and Russia.

Crippling Western sanctions have largely been lifted.

Sharaa has promised to replace Assad's brutal police state with an inclusive and just order.

The Assad family, members of Syria's Alawite minority community, ruled Syria for 54 years.

The Syrian war killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more since 2011, driving some 5 million into neighbouring countries as refugees.

The central bank governor, speaking at a Reuters NEXT conference last week, said the return of some 1.5 million refugees was helping the economy grow.

Reuters