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
Republican Steve Hilton appears poised to advance to California’s November gubernatorial election, setting up a likely showdown with Democrat Xavier Becerra after a prolonged ballot count that has intensified Republican criticism of the state’s election system.
U.S. exports rose to a record high in April 2026, helping narrow the nation’s trade deficit as foreign demand strengthened for American goods, energy products, and technology, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned Tuesday that Israel remains fully prepared to resume operations against Iran, saying the military’s recent strike inside the Islamic Republic was only preparation for a far heavier blow if Tehran attacks Israel again.
The United States launched what it called “self-defense strikes” against Iranian targets Tuesday after a U.S. Army Apache helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz, raising new fears that a fragile ceasefire could collapse into a broader war.
Proposed tariffs on imports from 60 economies could raise nearly $970 billion over the next decade, according to estimates released Monday by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
The House of Representatives advanced a $72 billion border security funding bill Tuesday, moving President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda one step closer to becoming law.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran shot down a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, vowing that the United States would respond to what he described as a direct attack on American forces.