Syrian rebels claim capture of Damascus, say Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital

08 December 2024 , 09:16

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Syrian rebels claim capture of Damascus, say Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital

Syrian rebels say Syria is free of Assad

Syrian rebels claim to have captured the capital of Damascus, announcing the fall of the al-Assad regime, according to reports by Reuters and Al Jazeera.

“The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled,” the armed opposition said in a statement. “We declare Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”

The Syrian rebel coalition said it is continuing work to complete the transfer of power in Syria to a transitional governing body with full executive powers.

In a statement, it said:

The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people.

As we have mentioned earlier in the blog, Bashar al-Assad, who has ruled the country for nearly 25 years, has reportedly left Damascus by plane for an unknown destination.

The president’s alleged departure comes less than two weeks after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist militant group leading the rebellion against government forces, launched a surprise and successful offensive in Syria.

The rapid developments in Damascus today came only hours after HTS said they had captured the strategic city of Homs, about 85 miles away from the capital.

Syrian prime minister Mohammed al-Jalali, who remains in Damascus, said he was ready to cooperate with “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people” (see post at 6.54 for more details).

In a speech broadcast on social media, he added that Syria “can be a normal country that builds good relations with its neighbours and the world”.

Henry Morgan