Rebels in Syria announced on Sunday that they had seized control of the capital, Damascus, in a swift offensive, and proclaimed the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s decades-long “tyranny”. Assad’s whereabouts remain unknown, with some reports suggesting he has fled to an undisclosed location.
The Syrian capital saw celebrations as fighters and a section of residents took to the streets cheering. Rebel factions, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, declared Damascus “liberated” and said, “We announce the freedom of our city and the fall of the tyrant Assad”.
If confirmed, Assad’s ouster would end his 24-year iron rule and the 54-year Assad family dynasty, which began with his father, Hafez Assad, in 1971. Bashar Assad took power in 2000 following his father’s death and struggled for 13 years to maintain control during a brutal civil war that devastated the nation.
“After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement… we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria,” the rebel factions said on Telegram.
Under Assad, Syria’s Alawite minority maintained dominance in a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation, while the country became a critical ally of Iran, remaining hostile toward Israel and the United States.
Assad’s ascent to power in 2000 at the age of 34, as a Western-educated ophthalmologist, initially inspired hope for reform. His rise was facilitated when parliament swiftly lowered the presidential age requirement from 40 to 34. Assad’s leadership was confirmed in a referendum where he ran unopposed.
Promoting a secular ideology rooted in Arab nationalism and resistance to Israel, Assad allied with Iran’s Shiite leadership, extended Syrian control over Lebanon, and supported Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups. “Syria’s army is made up of every color of Syrian society,” Assad once said, emphasising the nation’s diversity.
Despite international isolation during the civil war, Assad managed to rebuild regional ties. Last year, the Arab League reinstated Syria’s membership after more than a decade of suspension. In May, Saudi Arabia appointed its first ambassador to Damascus in 12 years, marking a significant diplomatic shift.
When protests erupted in 2011 and gained momentum in the following years, Assad adopted the authoritarian tactics of his father, deploying military force and securing external backing to suppress dissent. His heavy-handed response transformed the unrest into a full-scale civil war with far-reaching regional consequences.
The conflict deepened sectarian divides across the Middle East, with Iranian-backed Shiite groups, including Hezbollah, rallying behind Assad. Meanwhile, Sunni-led nations such as Turkey and Qatar supported the rebels.
Assad leaned heavily on Russian and Iranian military support throughout the war but failed to secure a definitive victory over opposition forces.
The decade-long war has had a devastating human toll, with rights groups accusing the Syrian government of operating detention centres where torture and extrajudicial killings were widespread. Nearly half a million people have been killed, and half of Syria’s pre-war population of 23 million has been displaced. Millions fled to neighbouring countries like Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Lebanon, with many seeking refuge in Europe.
In 2013, the Assad regime faced global condemnation for a sarin gas attack in the rebel-held suburb of Ghouta, which killed hundreds. Assad denied responsibility, but the incident prompted Moscow to broker a deal under which Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons, averting a potential US military response.
Assad’s grip on power appeared secure just weeks ago. However, shifting geopolitical dynamics and regional conflicts undermined his position. A surprise rebel offensive on Damascus caught the regime off guard. Russia, preoccupied with its war in Ukraine, provided limited support, and Hezbollah, once Assad’s staunch ally, was weakened by its ongoing conflict with Israel.
In a desperate bid for survival, Assad reportedly sought assistance from the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, but received no backing.
His sudden departure leaves Syria without a clear successor, plunging the nation into deeper turmoil. The grievances that ignited the 2011 uprising remain unresolved, setting the stage for further instability in a war-torn country still grappling with the scars of over a decade of conflict.
