The Assad regime ruled Syria for 50 years. Here’s how it fell in less than two weeks

At the historic Umayyad Mosque in the heart of Damascus, a red, white, black and green flag waves in the wind.

On the other side of the Syrian capital, the palace of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad burns in flames.

A presenter reads the Sunday news: “We announce, through the Syrian news channel, the victory of the great Syrian revolution after 13 years of patience and sacrifice.”

In the streets, hundreds of people celebrate, applauding the surprising fall of 50 years of dictatorship by the Assad family.

After less than two weeks of fighting in northwestern Syria, rebel groups quickly took control of the capital. His presence seemed to surprise the regime, forcing Assad to flee to Russia with his family.

“We are now the happiest country in the world,” a man told CNN on a road leading to Damascus on Sunday.

In a speech given at the Umayyad Mosque also on Sunday, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the main Syrian rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), described Assad’s fall as a “victory for the entire Islamic nation.”

“This is a nation that, when its rights are taken away, will continue to demand them until they are restored,” Jolani said, adding that HTS was releasing people who had been imprisoned by the Assad regime.

His rapid entry into the capital surprised both the citizens and the rest of the world.

Here’s how the rebels’ rise to power unfolded:

November 27: Rebel forces launch first attack

Syrian rebel forces launched a large-scale attack on Assad’s forces in western Aleppo, the first sign of what would become their offensive, marking the first significant clash between the two sides in years.

At least 37 people died — including regime forces and allied militias — and the rebels conquered 13 villages, including the strategic locations of Urm al-Sughra and Anjara, as well as Base 46, the largest military base of the Syrian regime’s army in the west of Aleppo, according to a statement from opposition factions at the time.

At that time, it was unclear whether the attacks had a greater significance. The rebel groups claimed they were a response to recent artillery shelling by the Assad regime.

But it quickly became apparent that this was not the case. Three days later, the first city would fall.

November 30: Rebels take control of the city of Aleppo

On November 30, rebel groups launched a lightning offensive, killing dozens of government soldiers and taking control of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city.

It was the first time they had set foot in the city since government forces regained control in 2016. By early morning, they had already conquered much of the city, according to images geolocated by CNN.

The Syrian army tacitly acknowledged that its forces were in retreat, stating that “a large number of terrorists” had forced them to “implement a redeployment operation”. The army added that reinforcements were on the way and that government forces were preparing for a “counteroffensive”.

December 5: Rebels take over Hama

The rebels continued their offensive towards the city of Hama.

Hama is strategically located at an important crossroads in west-central Syria, providing direct supply lines between Damascus and Aleppo.

The Assad regime has controlled Hama for more than a decade, but on Thursday, the Syrian army said it was forced to withdraw after rebels “penetrated several parts of the city.”

Videos geolocated by CNN showed rebel fighters celebrating — almost in disbelief at their progress — as they entered Hama.

“Guys, my country is being liberated. I swear to God, we are inside the city of Hama, we are inside the city of Aleppo,” exclaimed one fighter, filming himself next to a local landmark in Hama.

From there, the rebels turned their attention to Homs.

December 6: Rebels take control of Daraa, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising

Opposition forces continued their push towards Damascus, conquering the city of Daraa with the support of rebel factions representing the Druze sect in the neighboring city of as-Suwayda.

The army said it was “redistributing” after the attack, with rebels attacking forces from the north and south.

In the southern city of Homs, hundreds of people appeared to flee on Friday night as rebel forces claimed to have reached the city walls.

December 7: Homs falls

After days of advancing south, HTS quickly took control of Homs.

On Saturday night, HTS announced it had “fully liberated” the important city, as Syrians tore down and set fire to Assad posters.

“We managed to liberate four Syrian cities in 24 hours: Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesman for the main rebel group, before entering Damascus.

After regime forces left, residents filled the streets in celebration.

December 8: Damascus — and the Assad regime — falls to rebels

In the early hours of Sunday, Syrian rebels declared the capital, Damascus, “liberated” after entering the city with very little resistance from regime forces.

Celebratory gunshots could be heard as news spread that Assad had fled the capital. Images shared on social media and verified by CNN showed similar scenes in Aleppo, which fell to rebels just over a week earlier.

Russian state media quickly confirmed that Assad had fled to Moscow, and Jolani addressed Syrians from the Umayyad Mosque. “This victory, my brothers, is a victory for the entire Islamic nation. This new triumph, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region.”