Rebels Take Damascus, Assad Flees After 24 Year Rule [WATCH]

The nearly 24-year rule of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad came to an abrupt end as he fled the country on Saturday, according to reports from local sources and military officials.

Rebel forces stormed Damascus, facing minimal resistance as they took control of key areas, signaling the collapse of the Assad regime.

BREAKING: Syria has officially fallen, marking the end of President Assad’s government. pic.twitter.com/Xd5l0JiIxH

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) December 8, 2024

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Thousands of residents gathered in the city’s central square on Sunday, waving flags and chanting “freedom” as rebel forces breached the gates of Damascus.

Assad reportedly boarded a plane to an undisclosed destination as rebel troops closed in on the capital.

Witnesses described sporadic gunfire and explosions as rebels entered the city.

However, the government appeared to have made no effort to deploy troops to defend Damascus, according to reports.

Rebel groups, some linked to Al-Qaeda, swiftly took control of state media offices in the city. “We have taken over the media to broadcast the victory announcement over Assad,” a rebel statement said, according to CNN.

The capture of Damascus followed the rebels’ seizure of Homs late Saturday after less than a day of fighting.

Homs, a critical junction connecting Damascus to coastal government strongholds, fell as government troops abandoned their positions.

Residents in Homs celebrated in the streets, chanting, “Assad is gone, Homs is free,” and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad.”

Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of Tahrir al-Sham, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, declared that the fall of Homs marked a turning point. “The end of the criminal regime is near,” he said.

The rapid rebel advance began with the unexpected collapse of Aleppo earlier in the week. In just over a week, rebels claimed to have captured six major cities across Syria.

The instability in Syria has reverberated across the region.

Neighboring Jordan and Lebanon shut their borders with Syria, while protesters in the Damascus suburb of Jermana toppled a statue of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad.

Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators dragging the statue’s head through the streets.

Iran, a key Assad ally, began evacuating military commanders and officials from Syria on Friday. Russia and the United States also urged their citizens to leave the country as hostilities intensified.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for an immediate ceasefire but acknowledged the waning influence of Russia and its allies in the region.

With Russia’s military strained by the ongoing war in Ukraine, Assad received little support during the rebel advance.

President-elect Donald Trump commented on the situation through Truth Social, urging the United States to remain uninvolved. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & the United States should have nothing to do with it,” Trump wrote. He also criticized former President Barack Obama for his handling of the Syrian conflict, which began during the Arab Spring in 2011.

Trump highlighted Russia’s challenges, noting that its losses in Ukraine had undermined its ability to intervene. “Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria,” Trump added.

President Trump: “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved!” pic.twitter.com/NJVy1OBocG

— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) December 7, 2024

BREAKING: Trump just posted an emergency message on the collapse of #Syria pic.twitter.com/XzZXutJs49

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 8, 2024

Bashar al-Assad, who became Syria’s president in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, leaves behind a fractured nation after decades of authoritarian rule.

The Assad family’s five-decade grip on Syria, backed by Iran and other allies, had shaped the country’s role in the Middle East.

The collapse of the Assad regime marks a turning point for Syria and its regional allies.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Russia issued a joint statement calling the situation a “dangerous development” and urging a political solution.

As the dust settles, the region awaits clarity on what the end of the Assad dynasty will mean for Syria’s future and its place in the Middle East.

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