Rebel forces in Syria claimed on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country, describing him as a “tyrant,” after they captured the capital city, Damascus.

According to international media reports, Assad reportedly fled on a plane to an undisclosed location just hours before the rebel forces seized control of the city.

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The rebels, led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), advanced toward Damascus after capturing the city of Homs. On Saturday, they had also announced their control over the Daraa region in southern Syria.

“It is the end of a dark era and the beginning of a new one,” a British news channel’s website quoted HTS as saying on Telegram.

Reports indicate that the rebels have freed a large number of inmates from Saydnaya prison. The group stated that people displaced or imprisoned during Assad’s regime are now free to return home.

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of HTS, announced that public institutions will remain under the control of former Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali for the time being.

Meanwhile, Al-Jalali issued a public statement expressing his support for the rebels. He stated that he remains in the country and is ready to assist in rebuilding Syria.

He also emphasized the need for Syria to establish friendly relations with its neighbors and transition toward normalcy.

The opposition in Syria is celebrating the fall of Assad’s regime, calling it “the end of a dark era.”

Hadi al-Bahra, a leading opposition figure, promised respect for human rights and the dignity of all Syrians in a statement to the public.

“The Syrian revolution is for all Syrians. No Syrian’s dignity will be humiliated; no one will be oppressed, and no one will be persecuted,” he declared, congratulating citizens on this historic moment.

Al-Bahra also held a meeting with the European Union Chargé d’Affaires to Syria, Michael Ohnmacht, and his delegation to discuss the latest political and ground-level developments in the country.