Syrian rebels claim to enter Damascus after lightning offensive

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Syrian rebels said they had entered Damascus on Sunday as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime appeared to collapse in the face of the insurgents’ stunning offensive across the country.

The rebels said in a statement that “the city of Damascus is free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad” and that “Assad has fled”.

The whereabouts of Assad were unclear, with reports that he had fled, which would bring an ignominious end to a family dynasty that has ruled Syria for more than 50 years.

The downfall of the Assad regime would also usher in a period of huge uncertainty for Syria, a nation shattered and fragmented after 13 years of civil war, and for the wider region. The country shares borders with Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.

The rebel offensive has been led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist movement that was confined to Syria’s north-west province of Idlib before beginning its offensive 12 days ago. The group, which was once an affiliate of al-Qaeda, rocked the country by seizing Aleppo, Syria’s second city, then marching southwards towards the capital.

It has been co-operating with Turkish-backed rebels under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army, but Syria is home to myriad factions and the degree of co-ordination between them all is unclear.

There was no official statement by the Syrian presidency, the military or state media.

On Saturday afternoon the Syrian presidency had denied rumours that Assad had left Damascus and said he was continuing with his work as per usual.