by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Syria’s 50-year Assad dynasty abruptly ended this weekend when a lightning 10-day rebel offensive overran government-held territory and seized Damascus with little resistance. Bashar al-Assad, who ruled for nearly 25 years, fled by plane to an unknown destination as rebels took the capital.
Witnesses reported that thousands poured into the city’s main square, waving flags and chanting “freedom” as rebels broke through the city gates on Sunday and Assad’s forces fled the streets.
Rebel seized control of state media offices in Damascus “to broadcast the victory announcement over Assad,” featuring men declaring that President Bashar al-Assad had been overthrown and all detainees set free.
The man delivering the statement said the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, an opposition group, urged all opposition fighters and citizens to safeguard the institutions of “the free Syrian state.”
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the rebels said.
Damascus’s fall followed the swift capture of Homs, a strategic crossroads linking the capital to coastal government strongholds, which rebels seized late Saturday in under 24 hours of combat.
After government troops fled the city, thousands of residents filled the streets, dancing and chanting, “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad.”
Once Homs fell under rebel control, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared that the rebels were ready to seize the entire country, promising “the end of the criminal regime is near.”
The regime’s sudden collapse reshaped the Middle East, ending the Assad family’s decades-long rule and delivering a sharp blow to Russia and Iran, who have now lost a key regional ally.
In one suburb, a statue of Hafez al-Assad was brought down and destroyed, while rebels secured control over the entire southwest within 24 hours.
The rebel factions posted on Telegram, “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.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, escalating tensions just hours after massive funeral processions for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei featured chants of “Death to Trump” and “Death to Bibi.”
Prosecutors began presenting evidence Monday against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Christian conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event at Utah Valley University, as the state seeks to move the case toward a murder trial and possible death penalty sentence.
A Paris appeals court on Tuesday cleared a path for Marine Le Pen to potentially run in France’s 2027 presidential election, while upholding her conviction for misusing European Parliament funds and requiring her to serve one year under electronic monitoring.
China’s test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile across the Pacific has drawn condemnation from the United States and several Indo-Pacific governments, intensifying concerns over Beijing’s expanding military reach and lack of transparency.
NATO allies unveiled a sweeping package of new arms agreements Tuesday as President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara for a two-day summit expected to focus heavily on defense spending, burden-sharing, and the alliance’s continued support for Ukraine.
China and Russia launched joint naval exercises this week in Chinese waters before expanding operations into the Pacific Ocean, underscoring the deepening military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow as tensions continue to rise across the Indo-Pacific.
Multiple explosions struck central Damascus on Tuesday near the Four Seasons Hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during his landmark visit to the Syrian capital, highlighting the fragile security situation in a country emerging from years of war.