Damascus is surrounded: Rebels swarm Syria’s capital WITHOUT resistance as thousands take to the streets and Assad vanishes
Published: | Updated:
Advertisement
Syrian rebels fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad have entered Damascus as they capped a stunning advance across the country.
Residents of the capital have reported sounds of gunfire and explosions, with the insurgents announcing they had also liberated the Saydnaya military prison north of capital.
On Saturday evening local time, opposition forces took the central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as government forces abandoned it.
The city stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus – the Syrian leader´s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base.
The rebels had already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south in a lightning offensive that began on November 27.
Assad’s office said earlier on Saturday that the President was staying put in the capital and continuing his duties, but reports that the president has since fled the country to exile have emerged.
Follow DailyMail.com’s live coverage below.
Thousands take to the streets in central Damascus chanting ‘Freedom!’
Video footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera show several people in Ummayad Square standing on an abandoned military tank.
The group are singing in celebration as rebels swarmed the capital in the early hours of Sunday morning, local time.
Army officials say Assad has left Damascus as rebels close in
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters.
A Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels, according to data from the Flightradar website.
The aircraft initially flew towards Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing off the map.
It remains unclear exactly who was on board the flight.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad listens to a question during an exclusive interview with AFP in the capital Damascus on February 11, 2016
Good evening and welcome to our live coverage
DailyMail.com will be providing live updates this evening as rebel fighters in Syria enter the capital of Damascus.
The move takes them to the brink of a victory as Syrian forces and their leader, President Bashar al-Assad appear to flee the crumbling capital.
On Saturday evening local time, opposition forces took the central city of Homs, Syria‘s third largest, as government forces abandoned it.
The city stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus – the Syrian leader´s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base.
The rebels had already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south in a lightning offensive that began on November 27.
Key Updates
Army officials say Assad has left Damascus as rebels close in
For more: Elrisala website and for social networking, you can follow us on Facebook
