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Rebel forces stormed though major cities across Syria in less than two weeks, culminating in the apparent downfall of Bashar al Assad.After initially vowing to fight back, the country's authoritarian president, who ruled for 24 years, has reportedly fled the capital city Damascus. With key allies Russia and Iran distracted, government defences crumbled under the weight of insurgent attacks.In a matter of days, the Assad family rule appears to have ended after 13 years of civil war that has ravaged the country.Here's how it unfolded. 26 November - attack on Aleppo The rebel attack began last Tuesday, targeting the northern city of Aleppo, which had been in government hands since 2016.30 November - Aleppo's captureSyria's military announced a withdrawal from the c...

Rebel forces claim to have taken control of the Syrian capital after storming through the country in less than two weeks.According to reports, authoritarian ruler Bashar al Assad has fled Damascus on a plane headed to an unknown destination, ending his 24-year rule. While Syrians celebrate in the streets with chants for freedom, attention will also turn to the insurgents and what happens next.Who are the rebels?The initial assault on regime forces, which began in the northern city of Aleppo last week, was carried out by a variety of Mr Assad's opponents.This included rebels under the banner of the Syrian National Army, backed by Turkey, but the offensive has mostly been led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS).Once known as the Nusra Front, a former wing of al Qaeda, HTS is said to h...

It's over. Fifty-four years of brutal Assad dynasty rule has come to an end.The streets of Damascus have erupted in celebration. President Bashar al Assad has fled the country and the capital has fallen. What comes next is of great concern. Syria is deeply divided, geographically and socially. This is a moment of huge peril.Once the euphoria cools there will be deep hatred and anger towards former Assad loyalists after decades of murderous rule. Containing that will be difficult.Who governs Syria is unknown. Syria latest: President Assad reported to have fled Image: An image of Syrian President Bashar al Assad riddled with bullets in Hama, Syria. Pic: AP Multiple rebel groups control different parts of the country and, we a...

Seismic is an overused word. Not when it comes to events currently under way in Syria, a country straddling the fault lines of the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime will be the most significant event yet in the upheaval that's followed the 7 October attacks by Hamas in Israel last year. Syria latest: President Assad reported to have fled SyriaIt will be the end of a brutal reign of terror that has lasted since the Assad family under patriarch Hafez Assad seized power in the early 1970s. And the end of a devastating civil war that has raged since 2011.The Assads maintained their grip on Syria with diabolical cynicism. They used massacre and torture, chemical weapons and barrel bombs to secure their rule for almost five decades. But they also cleverly leveraged their country's pi...