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Islamist-led rebels declared they had taken Damascus in a lightning offensive on Sunday, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria.
A video circulating on social media shows rebels roaming inside the presidential palace in the capital Damascus. They were seen smashing Assad's family portraits in the presidential palace.
Residents in the Syrian capital were seen cheering in the streets, as the rebel factions heralded the departure of "tyrant" Assad, saying: "We declare the city of Damascus free."
AFPTV images from Damascus showed rebels firing into the air at sunrise, with some flashing the victory sign and crying "Allahu akbar", or God is greatest.
Syrian rebels are now smashing gilded Assad family portraits in the presidential palace of Damascus pic.twitter.com/BZpZuIjwUr
— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) December 8, 2024
Some climbed atop a tank in celebration, while others defaced a toppled statue of Assad's father, Hafez. "I can't believe I'm living this moment," tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. "We've been waiting a long time for this day," he said, adding: "We are starting a new history for Syria."
The president's alleged departure, which was also reported by a war monitor, comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group launched its campaign challenging more than five decades of rule by the Assad family.
"After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement... we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria," the rebel factions said on Telegram.
Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with "any leadership chosen by the Syrian people".
Russia's decade long effort to prop up Syrian dictator Assad has failed, with rebels in full control after only one week fighting.
Inside Assad's presidential palace, Damascus. pic.twitter.com/wHVqtezBfq
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) December 8, 2024
HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. Proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments, it has sought to soften its image in recent years, and told minority groups living in areas they now control not to worry.
Since the offensive began, at least 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed. The United Nations said the violence has displaced 370,000 people.
US President-elect Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that "Assad is gone", adding: "His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer."
Assad was for years propped up by Russia and Iran, while Turkey has historically backed the opposition.
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had called on Friday for a "political solution to the conflict", in a call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.