Syrian rebels seize Damascus, ending decades of brutal Assad dynasty rule
Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus early on Sunday, as iron-fisted leader Bashar al-Assad reportedly fled the country to an unknown destination, ending more than five decades of brutal dynasty rule.
Opposition fighters entered Damascus around 5 am local time without resistance, quickly capturing the airport, the state TV building and many other strategic government facilities.
Government forces and personnel reportedly withdrew from their positions, allowing the rebels a smooth takeover of the city.
Videos seen by Middle East Eye showed rebels freeing thousands of political prisoners from the notorious Sednaya prison and other jails in the capital, where women and children were being detained.
The rebels said in a statement that "the city of Damascus is free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad" after various factions encircled the capital from the north and the south.
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Assad's whereabouts were unclear as of 11:00 GMT, but he reportedly boarded a plane before rebels reached the capital and fled to an unknown location.
According to open-source data from the online tracker Flightradar24.com, a private jet took off from Damascus airport and was initially headed towards Syria's coastal region in the early hours of Sunday.
However, the jet abruptly reversed course and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes before vanishing from radar near the city of Homs.
Other videos seen by MEE showed people inside the presidential palace, walking through rooms and smashing pictures of the Assad family.
A message later appeared on Syrian state TV reading: "The victory of the great Syrian revolution and the fall of the criminal Assad regime."
Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said in a video that he remained in his home and was ready to support continuity of governance.
Earlier, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, more commonly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, instructed his fighters not go near public institutions that he said would remain under the supervision of the "former prime minister" until it is officially handed over.
The lightning advance into Damascus came hours after rebels captured Homs city on Saturday night.
On Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group monitoring the war, said government forces have withdrawn from several other areas in the Damascus countryside, including Jermana, Qatana, Artouz, al-Kiswah and sites near al-Mazzeh military airbase and al-Dumayr.
In al-Mazzeh, a resident told Middle East Eye that buses were seen bringing people out of the military airbase.
From al-Midan, a Damascene neighbourhood, another source said: "All the guards are scattered and anxious and there so many police cars are presently stuck in heavy standstill traffic. Its so crowded they're running like ants."
Last week, rebel groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a shock offensive on Assad's forces in the north, capturing the major cities of Aleppo, and later Hama and Homs.
On Friday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) seized control of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and the key Abu Kamal border crossing with Iraq after Assad's forces withdrew.
Speaking in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hailed the end of the Assad dynasty but also warned that Ankara was concerned that "Isis and other terrorist organisations . . . will take advantage of this process."
His comments were a seen as a reference to Kurdish groups backed by the US who are seen as threat by Ankara on its border.
"Opposition groups must be united. We will work for stability and safety in Syria," he said.
"The new Syria should not pose a threat to neighbours, it should eliminate threats." he added.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, US President-elect Donald Trump said Assad had "fled his country" after losing the backing of Russia.
"Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer."
Israel's diaspora affairs minister, Amichai Chikli, said the rebel gains were "far from a cause for celebration" for his country, with him saying most of the country was "now under the control of affiliate organisations of" al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Meanwhile, the United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, called for the start of a political process that was inclusive and would restore Syria's sovereignty.
"What is important is that we are able to find a situation where there is a political way out of this," he said.
"And that political way needs to be very different from what it has been before, it needs to be a process that is inclusive of everyone, and where we really focus on the need for unity, stability, where Syria is able to restore its sovereignty and its territory. There are lots of wounds that need to be healed."
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