Syrian pubs cautiously reopen after Islamist victory

Last Update: 2024-12-14 20:00:06 - Source: Al monitor

The citizens of Damascus largely celebrated the fall of Bashar al-Assad's hated regime with joy, after 13 long years of brutal civil war.

But the city's drinking holes did have one concern.

The rebel army that overthrew the former leader was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group which some drinkers feared would forbid the sale of alcohol.

For four days after the HTS fighters entered the city, pubs and liquor stores remained shut but no crackdown emerged and now venues are tentatively reopening.