Assad flees to Russia, rebels sweep through Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, according to Russian media, hours after a surprising rebel advance took control of Damascus, bringing an end to the Assad family’s 50-year rule.

Russian news agencies Tass and RIA, citing an unnamed Kremlin source, reported that Assad and his family were granted asylum in Moscow, Syria’s long-time ally. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the reports, but it has reached out to the Kremlin for confirmation.

RIA also mentioned that Moscow received assurances from Syrian insurgents regarding the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria.

Reports suggest Assad left Syria early on Sunday. Syrians took to the streets in celebration, with gunfire ringing out, after rebel forces stormed the capital and ended the Assad family’s authoritarian rule. The rapid developments have raised questions about Syria’s future and the broader region. In response, Russia has called for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to address the situation, according to Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the U.N., who posted on Telegram.

Celebratory crowds gathered in squares across Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag, recalling the early days of the Arab Spring protests before they were met with a violent crackdown. Over the years, the uprising transformed into a brutal civil war lasting nearly 14 years.

Meanwhile, Assad’s palace and residence were looted by jubilant crowds after he and other top officials disappeared.

Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaida commander who severed ties with the group years ago and now advocates for pluralism and religious tolerance, leads the largest rebel faction and is expected to play a key role in shaping Syria’s future. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs on Saturday, al-Golani visited the Umayyad Mosque and declared Assad’s downfall “a victory for the Islamic nation.” He also criticized Assad for turning Syria into “a farm for Iran’s greed.”

Despite their victory, the rebels face significant challenges in rebuilding the fractured country, which remains divided by armed factions. In the north, Turkish-backed opposition fighters are engaged in conflict with U.S.-allied Kurdish forces, and the Islamic State group continues to be active in some isolated areas.

Syrian state television broadcast a statement from the rebels early Sunday, announcing Assad’s overthrow and the release of all prisoners. The rebels called on the people to preserve the institutions of a “free Syrian state” and imposed a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The rebels also claimed to have liberated detainees from the infamous Saydnaya prison, where human rights organizations say thousands were tortured or killed. A video circulating online appeared to show rebels breaking open prison doors and freeing dozens of female prisoners, many of whom looked shocked. Among them was at least one young child.