Syria’s military command announced on Sunday that Bashar al-Assad’s regime has ended due to an attack by rebel forces. A Syrian official, who was aware of the situation, confirmed this to Reuters. Rebels declared that the capital, Damascus, is now “free from Assad.”

With no military resistance, the rebels entered the capital, prompting Assad to flee the city. According to two senior Syrian officials, Assad left Damascus aboard a plane to an unknown destination. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a private jet took off from Damascus International Airport, and after the departure, government soldiers were withdrawn from the airport.

Rebel forces stated that they had entered the city and that no troops were deployed. Following the rebels’ takeover of the capital, thousands of people gathered in the city center, chanting slogans for “freedom.” Rebels celebrated the news of freeing prisoners from Sednaya Prison, a notorious military facility on the outskirts of Damascus, which held thousands of opposition fighters.

Flight data from FlightRadar indicated that a Syrian Airways plane took off from Damascus Airport after news of the capital’s fall. Initially heading towards Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s forces, the plane suddenly made a U-turn and disappeared from radar. It remains unclear who was aboard the plane.

On Sunday, the head of Syria’s main opposition group, Hadi al-Bahra, declared that Damascus is now “free from Bashar al-Assad.” He addressed the Syrian people, announcing the fall of Assad’s government, emphasizing that the situation is safe and that there is no need for revenge. He also declared that a dark chapter in Syria’s history had ended and that the military would be restructured.