Live: Syria rebels celebrate in captured Homs, set sights on Damascus

People stand atop a toppled statue of Syria’s late president Hafez al-Assad in Damascus on December 8, 2024. Islamist-led rebels declared that they have taken Damascus in a lightning offensive on on December 8, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. Photo: LOUAI BESHARA / AFP

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Timour Azhari, Reuters

Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters, following a rapid rebel offensive that took the world by surprise.

Syrian rebels, who said Damascus was "now free of Assad", are expected to broadcast their first statement to the Syrian people on state television, two rebel sources said.

Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

Thousands in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting "Freedom" from a half century of Assad family rule, witnesses said.

The dramatic collapse marks a seismic moment for the Middle East, ending the family's iron-fisted rule over Syria and dealing a massive blow to Russia and Iran, which have lost a key ally at the heart of the region.

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"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 Sednaya prison," the rebels said, referring to a large military prison on the outskirts of Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.

A Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels, according to data from the Flightradar website.

The aircraft initially flew towards Syria's coastal region, a stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect, but then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing off the map.

Reuters could not immediately ascertain who was on board.

The head of Syria's main opposition group abroad, Hadi al-Bahra Syrian, declared Damascus was now "without Bashar al-Assad".

As Syrians expressed joy, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said he was ready to support the continuity of governance and prepared to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the Syrian people.

US President Joe Biden and his team were monitoring the "extraordinary events in Syria" and were in touch with regional partners, the White House said.

- Reuters

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