RT December 8, 2024

Islamists entered Damascus and declared it “free”, asserting President Bashar Assad has fled the capital

Jihadists and other anti-government militias have entered Damascus on Saturday, taking control over the Syrian capital. They declared the city to be “free” from President’s Bashar Assad government and claimed he had left the capital.

According to Reuters, Assad, who ruled the Middle East country for almost a quarter of a century, flew out of Damascus on Saturday evening “for an unknown destination”, citing two senior army officers. Just hours earlier, jihadists announced they had gained full control of the key city of Homs after only a day of fighting.

Syrian PM Mohammad al-Jalali has already offered cooperation “with any leadership chosen by the people”, also claiming he remains in his home.

HTS, a group led by a former Al-Qaeda commander and previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, launched a surprise offensive from the opposition-held province of Idlib in northern Syria just last week. Jihadists have already driven the Syrian Army from the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Al-Qusayr at the border with Lebanon.