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
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Damascus is seeking a security agreement with Israel that could eventually open the door to broader peace talks, declaring that his government has no interest in entering another military confrontation with the Jewish state.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has openly called for continued “jihad and resistance” against Israel and the United States while declaring the defense of Hezbollah a strategic obligation of the Islamic Republic.
Archaeologists excavating near Jerusalem’s Tower of David have uncovered a rare clay mold used to produce female figurines during the First Temple period, offering a striking glimpse into the religious struggle that unfolded in the Biblical city during the age of the prophets.
German police shot dead the main suspect Sunday in what authorities described as an Islamist terrorist attack targeting Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride celebrations after he allegedly charged officers with a knife during an attempted arrest.
Christians in southern Egypt were recovering from shock and injuries Friday after a violent crowd attacked a Coptic church in the latest reminder of the pressures facing believers despite government efforts to improve their status.
Concern mounted Friday over the disappearance of a young Christian businessman in Pakistan and the continued imprisonment of two Christian men held for years on blasphemy charges, underscoring the challenges facing the country’s Christian minority.
A growing group of relatives of those murdered in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is urging organizers to prevent New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending the 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero.