Sun Dec 08 03:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Syrian Opposition Claims Damascus Fall, Assad Reportedly Flees
**DAMASCUS, Syria** – In a stunning turn of events, the Syrian armed opposition announced Sunday that it has entered the capital, Damascus, and seized control of several key locations, including the television and radio broadcasting building. Simultaneously, reports emerged that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the city.
Reuters, citing two high-ranking Syrian military officers, reported that Assad left Damascus by plane to an undisclosed location. The opposition’s rapid advance followed the overnight capture of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, adding to previous gains in Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib. The opposition claims to have liberated four cities—Deraa, Quneitra, Sweida, and Homs—within 24 hours, along with the town of al-Qusayr in Homs province.
The opposition also reported freeing prisoners from Saydnaya prison, a notorious facility outside Damascus, and stated that the Syrian military’s defenses have collapsed. CNN, citing an unnamed source, suggested that Damascus had fallen militarily. The New York Times quoted Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials confirming the opposition’s entry into Damascus and the withdrawal of regime forces.
Reports from within Damascus indicate that protesters reached Omayyad Square, and Damascus International Airport has reportedly been evacuated and closed. By 6:00 AM Mecca time, the armed opposition declared the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Sources also confirmed to Al Jazeera that regime officers and soldiers had withdrawn from the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff headquarters. A Syrian military source told Reuters that the army command is informing officers of the regime’s collapse. The situation remains rapidly evolving.
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