Bashar Al-Assad regime collapses as Syrian insurgents enter Damascus

CAIRO – 8 December 2024: The Syrian government crumbled on Sunday morning and Bashar Al-Assad, who clung to power through 14 years of civil war, reportedly fled Damascus, as insurgents took control of the capital, days after a surprise offensive that shocked the world.

According to Reuters, the Syrian army relayed to officers that Assad's reign had come to an end.

Assad departed Damascus for an unknown destination early today, according to two senior army officers who spoke to Reuters.

WATCH: Assad family statue being destroyed as people celebrate fall of the regime pic.twitter.com/RQxP7AjEz7

— BNO News (@BNONews) December 8, 2024

The insurgents’ capture of Damascus was expected after they seized control of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, as well as Hama, and swiftly advanced to Homs and Damascus in a matter of days since 27 November.

They also took control of the Quneitra and Daraa in southern Syria, near to Israel's border.

TRANSITIONAL GOV'T

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali, in an early Sunday statement, said he has not fled the country and that his government is ready to cooperate with the opposition and transition authority.

Jalali said he will resume work at his office the following day, urging fellow Syrians to respect public property.

Today, insurgents also reported their entry into the infamous Saydnaya military prison located north of Damascus, announcing the liberation of detainees held there.

The Syrian civil war broke out in 2011 between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s rule and insurgents but had largely subsided due to ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey in 2020.

Nearly 14 years of war in Syria have left around half a million people dead, forced millions more to flee their homes and disturbed regional peace. Foreign parties have interfered in the war, each supporting one side against the other.

President-elect Donald Trump emphasized on Saturday that the United States should steer clear of military involvement in Syria, asserting on Twitter that “this is not our fight.”

The surprise offensive was carried out by Syrian opposition forces and insurgents, led by Sunni Jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

It occurs amidst a highly volatile situation in the region, as the Israeli war in Gaza enters its 15th month, and Lebanon has recently secured a ceasefire with Israel following a brutal Israeli war.