Syrian rebels have declared the capital Damascus “liberated” after entering the city to scant resistance from regime forces, while claiming President Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital, losing his decades-long grip on power.
An active search is underway for Assad, according to a source familiar with the rebels’ operations. The Syrian leader has not been seen or heard from publicly since rebels entered the capital early on Sunday morning.
The removal of Assad – who has not been heard from since the rebels’ claim – would bring an end to more than 50 years of his family’s autocratic rule of the nation of about 23 million, which has been buffeted and fractured by more than a decade of civil war.
Meanwhile, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said the government stood ready “to cooperate with any leadership the people choose.”
Here’s what else you should know:
- Taking control: Rebel operatives are taking up key positions in the capital after the rebel alliance swept across the country in a lightning offensive, a source familiar with the advance told CNN. “Militarily, Damascus has fallen,” the source said. Rebel fighters could be seen on the grounds of the Syrian presidential palace on Sunday. The rebels also said they’ve taken control of the notorious Saydnaya Military Prison north of Damascus. “Damascus has been liberated and the tyrant Bashar al-Assad has been overthrown, and oppressed prisoners in regime prisons have been released,” a spokesperson said, reading from a statement surrounded by roughly a dozen other rebels, on state television on Sunday.
- Searching for Assad: An active search is underway for Bashar al-Assad with rebels questioning Syrian military officers and intelligence officials who might have knowledge about his movements, according to a source familiar with the rebels’ operations.
- PM calls for cooperation: Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said the government stands ready “to cooperate with any leadership the people choose,” in a recorded message on Sunday morning.
- Caught off guard: The stunning speed of the rebel advance has caught much of the world off guard and brought about a stunning reordering of power in a Middle Eastern nation that has long been at the crossroads of a regional power struggle. Both Iran and Russia were supporters of the Assad regime and helped keep it in power during a grueling civil war that sparked one of the world’s largest recent refugee crises.
- Jubilation on the streets: Footage shared on social media and verified by CNN showed people celebrating in Syria’s second-largest city Aleppo, as word spread of Assad fleeing Damascus. Aleppo fell to the rebels just over a week ago, as they launched their offensive, which has since swept several major cities.
- US reaction: US President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring” developments in Syria and staying in “constant touch with regional partners,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett wrote on X.
- Iran’s collapse: One US official told CNN that events in Syria mark the collapse of “Iran’s artifice” across the Middle East. The potential toppling of the Iran-backed Assad would follow the decimation of key Tehran proxies Hezbollah and Hamas in conflicts with Israel over the past 14 months.
