Syrian rebels take over Damascus following week-long offensive; President Bashar al-Assad flees

The rebel forces of Syria, on December 8 claimed control of capital Damascus after a week-long lightning offensive as reports of President Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country surfaced.

As per senior Syrian military officials who spoke to Reuters, Assad, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 24 years, boarded a plane to an undisclosed location. The army command has reportedly informed officers that the Assad regime has fallen.

"The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled. We declare Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad," rebels proclaimed, according to Al Jazeera.

In a statement, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel faction said, "We announce today, 12-8-2024, the end of this dark era and the beginning of a new era for Syria."

Syrian military and security forces have withdrawn from Damascus International Airport, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor, which relies on sources within Syria, reported that officers and soldiers abandoned the airport amid the rebel offensive.

Panic gripped the capital, with residents describing gunfire in the city, and regime loyalists rushing to the Damascus airport to flee, anticipating the Assad government's collapse, the Observatory and AFP reported.

Television footage showed fighters in fatigues firing into the air in jubilation, as crowds climbed onto tanks and chanted in the streets, reported The Guardian. A statue of the President's father, Hafez al-assad, was toppled as mosques announced the fall of the Assad regime.

Videos on social media, whose authenticity India Today couldn't verify, appeared to show fighters breaching the presidential palace and posing for photos inside.

The rebels also announced they had entered the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of Damascus and freed prisoners there.

"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 Saydnaya prison," they said, as quoted by Reuters.

Syrian opposition forces announced that the country will be governed by Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali until a formal transition of power takes place. Al-Jalali expressed his willingness to work with "any leadership chosen by the Syrian people".

Meanwhile, the White House said President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the "extraordinary events" in Syria.