A series of rapid and dramatic events unfolded early this Sunday morning, as the armed Syrian opposition announced that they had begun entering the capital, Damascus. Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency reported, citing senior Syrian officials, that President Bashar Al-Assad had left Damascus and traveled to an undisclosed location.
Reuters stated that its information came from two senior Syrian military officers who confirmed that Assad had departed on a plane bound for an unknown destination.
The night between Saturday and Sunday marked a significant development, as the opposition succeeded in capturing the city of Homs, the third-largest city in Syria. This added to the cities of Aleppo and Hama, which had already fallen to the opposition, along with their control over the entire Idlib province.
The opposition announced that they had liberated four cities within 24 hours: Daraa, Al-Quneitra, Al-Suwayda, and Homs, before adding the town of Al-Qusayr in the Homs countryside, stating that their sights were set on the capital, Damascus.
By Sunday morning, the opposition reported that they had stormed Saydnaya Prison, located in the Damascus countryside, successfully freeing the prisoners. They declared this a victory over the “era of oppression” associated with the prison. Meanwhile, reports from American media, citing “informed sources,” indicated that the defenses of the Syrian regime’s military had effectively collapsed. CNN reported from an informed source that, militarily speaking, Damascus could be considered to have fallen.
Shortly after, the armed Syrian opposition announced that they had taken control of the Syrian Radio and Television building.
Meanwhile, The New York Times quoted officials from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirming that armed opposition forces had entered Damascus and that regime forces were retreating.
The events continued to unfold rapidly, with local sources reporting that protesters had reached the Ummayyad Square in central Damascus. Syrian news sites confirmed that all flights at Damascus International Airport had been suspended, and staff had been evacuated.
At six o’clock in the morning Mecca time, the armed Syrian opposition declared that “the free people of Syria have toppled Bashar Al-Assad.”
Immediately, sources within the armed opposition confirmed to Al-Jazeera that officers and soldiers from the regime had abandoned the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and the General Command in Damascus.
Reuters also reported, citing Syrian military sources, that the Syrian Army Command had informed its officers that the regime had fallen.
