Syria's Assad is now in Moscow, Russian state media says

The Syrian government collapsed after a surprise rebel offensive.

ByDavid Brennan, Julia Reinstein, Ivan Pereira, and Jack Moore
Last Updated: December 9, 2024, 4:23 AM EST

Rebel forces in Syria captured the capital Damascus and toppled the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.

As Assad resigned and fled Syria, rebel forces moved into Damascus as citizens celebrated there and in the streets of Aleppo, where the rebel offensive began 11 days ago.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group.

The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the devastated Palestinian territory.

Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Dec 08, 2024, 12:06 AM EST

Assad regime appears to have fallen, Syrian PM says prepared for handover

In a stunning turn, over the last few hours, it appears that the Assad regime has fallen after a rebel advance caught Syrian forces by surprise when its backers in Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah were weak and distracted.

The Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali released a video saying the government was ready to “extend a hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions. Rebel leaders have instructed their fighters not to approach Syrian government sites, an apparent attempt to quell any fears in the city and await a formal handover in the morning.

Rebel forces claim that Assad has left the capital and, while that is not confirmed, they have clearly taken control of many parts of the city.

-ABC News' Kirit Radia

Dec 07, 2024, 11:25 PM EST

Biden 'closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria'

President Joe Biden is "closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria," White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a post on X.

Dec 07, 2024, 10:56 PM EST

Syrian rebels claim Assad has fled Damascus

The rebel military operations command in Syria claims the president is no longer in the capital, writing: "We declare the city of Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”

There is no independent verification of the claim.

The rebel forces, led by group HTS, took over four cities across the country in 24 hours before advancing into the capital.

-ABC News' Kirit Radia

Dec 07, 2024, 10:02 PM EST

Syrian rebels say they're advancing into Damascus

Rebel forces in Syria said they were advancing into the capital Damascus after capturing four other cities in the past 24 hours as a lightning advance by insurgents continued, threatening President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power.

In the early hours of Sunday morning local time, the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, said on the Telegram messaging app, that rebel forces had entered Damascus and reached Sednaya prison, a government facility dubbed the "human slaughterhouse" by the human rights group Amnesty International.

Overall, the insurgent group claimed credit for taking control of four other Syrian cities over the past day -- Homs, Daraa, Queinetra and Sweida -- in a series of rapid advances.

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