A sudden rebel offensive has toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, marking the end of the family’s 50-year rule. The swift advance of opposition forces, culminating in their entry into Damascus within 10 days, has reshaped the nation’s political landscape.
Syrian state television broadcast a video of a group of men declaring Assad’s overthrow and announcing the release of all detainees. A spokesperson for the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, the opposition group spearheading the offensive, urged fighters and citizens to safeguard the institutions of “the free Syrian state.”
Hours earlier, reports emerged that Assad had fled the country to an undisclosed location. Opposition sources claimed Damascus had fallen following a rapid series of victories across the country. The airport in the capital was reportedly abandoned, and Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali expressed readiness to hand over power to a transitional government. In a video statement, Jalali, who remained in the capital, urged citizens to refrain from damaging public property but did not address Assad’s alleged departure.
Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed Assad’s flight on Sunday. Meanwhile, Iranian state media, citing Al Jazeera, also reported Assad’s departure but offered no further details. The Syrian government has yet to issue an official statement.
As dawn broke over Damascus, thousands celebrated in the streets, chanting “God is great” and anti-Assad slogans. Soldiers and police abandoned their posts, and looters stormed the Ministry of Defense headquarters. “My feelings are indescribable,” said Omar Daher, a lawyer whose family members were victims of Assad’s regime. Others echoed his sentiment, expressing relief and anger over decades of oppression.
Footage from the city showed abandoned checkpoints, discarded uniforms, and even a tank stationed in a central square. This marks the first time opposition forces have entered Damascus since 2018, following years of intense fighting on its outskirts. Pro-government media reported that Damascus airport had been evacuated, with all flights halted.
Rebels also announced the capture of the notorious Saydnaya military prison, liberating its detainees. The night before, they seized Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, after government forces withdrew. Homs, a strategic crossroads connecting Damascus with Assad’s coastal strongholds, was seen as a pivotal gain for the opposition. Earlier, rebels had also captured Aleppo, Hama, and large parts of southern Syria during a lightning campaign that began on November 27.
Analysts described the fall of Homs and the swift advance to Damascus as a “game-changer.” The Syrian army had largely retreated from southern Syria, leaving provincial capitals and other key areas vulnerable. The offensive, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group with roots in al-Qaeda and designated a terrorist organisation by the U.S. and U.N., encountered little resistance from government forces.
U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen called for urgent talks in Geneva to facilitate an “orderly political transition,” warning that the situation was evolving rapidly. Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar, he described the developments as “unprecedented.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose government has long backed Assad, expressed regret for Syria’s suffering.
Amid the upheaval, many Damascus residents rushed to stock up on supplies, while thousands sought refuge across the Lebanese border. However, Lebanon’s border officials closed the main Masnaa crossing, leaving crowds stranded. Shops in Damascus ran out of basic goods, with remaining items sold at exorbitant prices, reflecting the chaos gripping the capital.
The rebels’ decisive advance signals a transformative moment in Syria’s protracted conflict, leaving the nation on the brink of a new chapter.
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