Bashar Assad’s Regime Finally Fallen, Syrians Celebrate As Rebels Storm Damascus

Syria’s Bashar Al Assad’s government seems to have been overturned by the rebels, who claimed to have taken hold of the capital city of Damascus. With reports of Assad fleeing the country, the claim appears even more solid. Visuals from Damascus showed crowds gathered on streets to celebrate Assad’s fall, prayers were being chanted with occasional gunfire. Opposition forces have entered Damascus for the first time since 2018, marking a significant breakthrough in the ongoing Syrian conflict. 

How Did Syrian Rebels Toppled Assad’s Regime 

The advance came swiftly, with government forces collapsing just days after rebels breached Army lines in Aleppo. The turning point unfolded a night prior, when rebel forces seized control of Homs, Syria's third-largest city, following the withdrawal of government troops. 

The lightning-fast advancement of the rebel offensive has taken the globe by surprise, within 24-hours the Syrian ruler lost control of Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs. The Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) breached Aleppo's defenses last week, marking a significant shift in Syria's conflict. The breakthrough ended years of impasse in the war-torn region and achieved the opposition’s far-fetched goal since 2011—toppling the Assad regime. 

Syrians of Suwayda celebrating the revolution and victory of Syrians over Animal Assad pic.twitter.com/Z94O7OPzCz — Hamdi Rifai (@HamdiRifaiJD) December 6, 2024

Rami Abdurrahman, from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group monitoring the war, said Assad flew out of Damascus early Sunday.  

Hours after the announcement of Assad escaping the country to an undisclosed location, Syrian state television aired a video in which a group of men announced that President Bashar Assad had been overthrown, and all prisoners freed. The man reading the statement identified the group as the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus. They called on rebel fighters and citizens to protect the institutions of a "free Syrian state." 

People gathered in Ummayed Square, the heart of the Syrian capital, to celebrate the downfall of Bashar Assad's government. Excitement filled the air as crowds stormed the presidential palace. 

People celebrating the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in northeast Syria's (Rojava) Hasaka city after rebels captured the capital Damascus and Assad fled the country. pic.twitter.com/608Tr3SmRc — Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) December 8, 2024

The fast-moving events have stunned the region. Lebanon announced it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria, except one between Beirut and Damascus. Jordan also closed a border crossing with Syria. 

(With agency inputs)