DAMASCUS FALLS: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flees Damascus as rebels move into country’s capital
Assad regime has fallen. Rebels declare Damascus 'free' as President flees capital city
December 8, 2024
The nearly quarter-century rule of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad came to a stunning end, when he fled the country by plane for an unknown destination as rebel troops stormed into the capital city of Damascus with little resistance.
Thousands of people rushed to the city’s main square waving and chanting “freedom” as rebel breached the city gates on Sunday, local time, and Assad’s army fled from the streets, witnesses said.
Assad, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for 24 years, boarded a plane and left Damascus for parts unknown, two senior army officers told Reuters.
Shortly after entering the city, rebels took over state media offices in Damascus, “to broadcast the victory announcement over Assad,” the rebels said in a statement, CNN reported.
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the rebels announced.
Sednaya is a notorious military prison described by Amnesty International as “the human slaughters” on the outskirts of the capital where the Syrian government had detained thousands.
Intense sounds of shooting and explosions were reported around the city center, according to two residents there.
A resident of the Barzeh neighborhood of Damascus told CNN that rebels were in the area and fighting was taking place.
“I saw rebel fighters moving through the inner alleys of Barzeh toward Police Club Street, and I can hear very loud sounds of clashes,” they told the outlet.
“The electricity is cut off, and the internet is very weak, people are staying at their houses.”
Residents of numerous Damascus districts turned out to protest Assad on Saturday evening — and security forces did not push back.
Sunday was the first time opposition forces had reached Damascus since 2018, when troops recaptured areas on the outskirts of the city following a yearslong siege.
The Syrian government has not yet made any statements.
The pro-government Sham FM radio reported that the Damascus airport had been evacuated and all flights halted.
Just hours earlier, rebels captured the key city of Homs after less than 24 hours of fighting, paving the way for troops to march to the capital.
Thousands of Homs residents poured onto the streets as government forces fled, dancing and chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad.”
After seizing Homs, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the powerful Tahrir al-Sham, said in a statement that rebels were poised to take the whole country, promising “the end of the criminal regime is near.”
Tahrir al-Sham began as an Al-Qaeda affiliate and was designated by the United States as a terrorist organization in 2018.
In rural areas southwest of the capital, young people and former rebels took to the streets to celebrate.
It’s unclear how the possible end of five decades of the Assad Dynasty’s rule over Syria could impact the conflict-ridden Middle East.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Russia had issued a joint statement saying the crisis was a dangerous development and called for a political solution.
A fighter in Hama celebrates the capture of the city. Credit: Getty
Rebel fighters have made a lightning blitz while regime troops have withdrawn. Credit: AFP
A rebel fighter sits on the back of a vehicle in Homs. Credit: Reuters
A man stands where the head of Hafez had been moments before. Credit: X/@malteseherald
A rebel fighter stands in central Hama after it was captured on Thursday. Credit: Getty
A poster of Assad with his face torn out. Credit: Reuters
A truck pulls the head of the toppled statue of Assad's father Hafez al-Assad in Hama. Credit: AFP
A fighter stands in front of an image of Bashar al-Assad riddled with bullets. Credit: AP
Rebel fighters pray in Homs countryside. Credit: Reuters
Inside Homs, a resident told Reuters the situation had felt normal until Friday, but had grown more tense with the sound of airstrikes and gunfire clearly audible and pro-Assad militia groups setting up checkpoints.
The resident said: "They are sending a message to people to keep in line and that they should not get excited and not expect Homs to go easily."
Seizing Homs, a key crossroads between the capital and the Mediterranean, cuts off Damascus from the coastal stronghold of Assad's minority Alawite sect.
A Syrian military officer said there was a lull in fighting on Saturday morning after a night of intense airstrikes on the rebels.
Ahead of the rebel advance, thousands of people fled Homs towards the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government, residents and witnesses said.
On Saturday afternoon, President Donald Trump said the US should have "nothing to do with" the rebellion in Syria.
The Republican strongman urged America's current government to not act, saying that Syria is "not our friend".
Trump wrote on his own platform Truth Social: "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!"
President Trump says US should stay out of Syria 'mess'
A bullet-riddled portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Credit: AFP
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