BREAKING: Syrian rebels announce fall of Russia-backed Assad regime
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Syrian rebels announced on Dec. 8 that they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad from the capital city of Damascus.
"The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled. We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad," rebel leaders said in a statement.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters that thousands of Damascus residents had gathered in the city center, chanting "Freedom."
"(W)e declare today, December 8, 2024, the end of that dark era and the start of a new era for Syria," the rebels said in a statement.
The Syrian military command told officers that Assad's 24-year rule had ended, according to an officer who spoke to Reuters.
Rebel forces reportedly entered Damascus in the early hours of Dec. 8, taking over the state TV and radio headquarters to broadcast the end of Assad's regime. Two senior army officials told Reuters that Assad had fled Damascus via plane, bound for an unknown destination.
A coalition of anti-government forces launched a surprise offensive in late November, after nearly a decade of frozen conflict. Rebel groups seized major cities across the country, including Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, before sweeping into Damascus.
Russia has been a primary backer of the Assad regime for years. Military aid from Moscow played a key role in Assad's ability to push back opposition forces in 2016. Human rights groups have documented numerous war crimes committed by Russian forces in Syria.
The speed of the rebel advance may be related to diminishing Russian aid, as Russia focuses on its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Dmytro Basmat
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