Syria’s Assad Regime Collapses After Rebel Forces Seize Capital

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have fled the country after rebels seized the capital, Damascus, in a lightning offensive that unraveled his 24-year authoritarian rule. For the first time in over five decades, the Assad family’s grip on Syria appears to be crumbling, leaving the future of the country uncertain.

Two senior Syrian officers confirmed that Assad had abandoned Damascus, with his whereabouts unknown. While the report remains unverified, the significance of the event has reverberated worldwide. 

Anwar Gargash, a senior Emirati diplomat, declined to comment on whether Assad had fled to the United Arab Emirates, downplaying the matter as a mere "footnote in history" at a Bahrain conference.

The Syrian leader had been conspicuously absent as Islamist insurgents, spearheaded by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched a swift and unexpected offensive that began in north-western Syria. Within days, the rebels had captured major towns along a highway leading to Damascus, ultimately entering the capital and toppling the regime in just under two weeks.

In a triumphant announcement on state television, rebels declared the fall of Assad’s rule. A statement from the “Damascus conquest operations room” proclaimed the “liberation of the city of Damascus,” the “fall of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad,” and the release of prisoners from the notorious Sednaya prison.

The announcement was followed by scenes of celebratory crowds in the capital, tearing down images of Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad, while cheering atop tanks and trampling a statue of Hafez in the central square.

The speed of the insurgency's success took many by surprise, especially given the near-total collapse of Assad’s military apparatus. Video footage from Damascus showed soldiers shedding their uniforms and blending into the civilian population as the rebel forces closed in. Even Syria's Prime Minister, Mohammed Ghazi Jalali, appeared to distance himself from Assad’s government, offering a hand to the opposition for a transitional government.

Celebrations erupted across Syria, with Aleppo – the second-largest city, recently captured by rebels – broadcasting songs of joy from mosque speakers, filling the air with ululations and cheers. In contrast, the fear of what might have happened to the thousands of missing persons detained by Assad’s regime cast a shadow over the celebrations. Rights groups estimate that more than 100,000 people have been forcibly disappeared or detained since 2011.

Assad’s rule had always been maintained through brutal repression, with widespread airstrikes, chemical weapon attacks, and the suppression of dissent through a network of prisons and torture facilities. The atrocities committed during the civil war, which killed over 300,000 people, left deep scars on the country. As the insurgents stormed through Syria, they freed many of the long-imprisoned, including victims of the notorious Sednaya military prison, known for its harsh torture methods.

Ranim Badenjki, a Syrian human rights defender in exile, expressed her overwhelming joy at Assad’s downfall, but also her deep sorrow over the fates of those who remain missing or lost in Syria’s vast detention system.

“We always thought Assad’s survival was inevitable,” she said, "but to see Syrians make this dream come true is surreal. I think of everyone we lost, and I still fear for those who haven’t returned home."

The fall of Assad’s regime marks the end of 54 years of Assad family rule in Syria, beginning with Hafez al-Assad’s military coup in 1971 and continuing under Bashar al-Assad’s presidency since 2000. Despite support from powerful allies like Russia and Iran, Assad’s reign could not withstand the rebel offensive that has now captured Syria's key cities and brought an end to an era of authoritarianism.

 For many Syrians, this marks a turning point. “Today is our Berlin Wall moment,” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a Syrian-American physician who organized medical missions into the war-torn country. The collapse of Assad’s regime represents not only the end of a dictatorship but also a chance to rebuild a nation torn apart by years of violence and suffering.

While questions remain about Assad’s next move and the future of Syria’s political landscape, one thing is clear: the Assad family’s reign over Syria has come to a historic and dramatic end. The road ahead will be fraught with challenges, but for millions of Syrians, this moment represents a hard-won victory against a long-standing tyranny.