Syria rebels declare Damascus ‘free,’ claim Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital

The situation in Syria has reached a dramatic turning point as reports suggest that President Bashar Assad has fled Damascus amid a sweeping advance by rebel forces.

Two senior army officers reported that Assad left Damascus for an undisclosed destination. A Syrian Air flight departing Damascus showed unusual flight activity before disappearing from tracking radar.

Rebels claimed full control of Homs, a strategic and symbolic city, after a rapid offensive. Thousands of detainees were reportedly freed from prisons, including Sednaya, infamous for holding political prisoners. In rural areas southwest of Damascus, residents and former rebels took to the streets in defiance of the Assad regime.

In Homs, crowds chanted "Assad is gone, Homs is free," celebrating the withdrawal of Syrian army forces.

In Damascus, residents held protests, with security forces unable to impose control.

The fall of Homs disrupts Assad's territorial control, severing Damascus from the coastal region, a stronghold of his Alawite sect and the location of Russian military bases.

Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham leader Abu Mohammed Al-Golani hailed the capture of Homs as historic, urging restraint against surrendered forces.

Rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani announced plans to secure the countryside around Damascus and potentially move toward the capital.

The abrupt flight activity of a Syrian Air plane raises questions about Assad's location and the extent of his control over the remaining government strongholds.

Statues of Hafez Assad, Bashar's father, were toppled in symbolic acts of defiance. Security forces were seen burning documents and fleeing key locations, signaling disarray within the regime.