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
More than 1,300 people died as an extreme heatwave gripped Europe, shattering temperature records across several countries on Sunday, officials said.
Billionaire Democratic donor George Soros and his son Alex Soros have poured $102.8 million into the 2026 midterm election cycle, according to a New York Post review of federal campaign finance filings, placing the family among the most powerful financial forces shaping Democratic politics.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for a national tax on billionaires and a federal stake in artificial intelligence companies, positioning himself closer to the Democratic Party’s populist wing as he weighs a possible 2028 presidential bid.
The White House Religious Liberty Commission has issued a sweeping set of recommendations aimed at strengthening religious freedom in schools, workplaces, the military, health care and other public institutions, calling for clearer protections for Americans who face discrimination or pressure over expressions of faith.
Federal authorities have rescued 7,200 children from traffickers and predators under the Trump administration, marking a 42 percent increase from the previous administration, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a June 25 update.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a new U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon a “historic accomplishment,” saying the understandings could move the two countries toward ending hostilities and eventually reaching a peace agreement while dealing a major setback to Iran and its proxy Hezbollah.
A newly released report in the United Kingdom alleges that predominantly Muslim grooming gangs exploited vulnerable children across Britain for decades while police, social services, schools, health officials, licensing authorities, and political leaders repeatedly failed to intervene.