Brimming with excitement, Syrians poured into Ummayed Square in the heart of Damascus on Sunday to celebrate the fall of Bashar Assad's government. The square, home to the Ministry of Defense building, became a focal point for jubilant crowds marking the end of Assad's decades-long rule. Men fired celebratory shots into the air, some standing on the streets while others rode in pickup trucks adorned with the green flag of the uprising—a symbol not seen in the capital for over a decade since the civil war erupted. Plumes of smoke rose in the distance as the festive atmosphere spread across the city. A few kilometers away, opposition supporters stormed the presidential palace, tearing down portraits of Assad from its guest quarters, where he had once hosted visiting heads of state. The moment symbolized the definitive end of Assad's grip on power after nearly 14 years of civil war. Crowds gathered across Damascus, chanting, praying, and firing occasional gunshots to celebrate the regime's collapse. The city's streets were filled with an outpouring of joy, while opposition fighters secured key locations following a rapid advance into the capital. According to Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Assad fled Damascus early Sunday on a flight to an undisclosed location. While no official government statement has been issued, Assad's whereabouts remain unknown. The fall of Damascus marks the first time opposition forces have entered the city since 2018 when Syrian troops reclaimed its outskirts after years of heavy fighting. The night before, opposition forces captured Homs, Syria's third-largest city, as government forces abandoned it. The swift collapse of Assad's government has sent shockwaves across the region. Lebanon announced the closure of its land border crossings with Syria, with the exception of the Masnaa crossing, which links Beirut to Damascus. Jordan also closed one of its border crossings with Syria, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, the Masnaa border crossing witnessed an influx of Syrians attempting to return home after the fall of Assad's regime. Lebanese officials temporarily restricted entry from Syria into Lebanon while allowing Syrians to leave Lebanon freely. Lebanon, which hosts the world's largest per capita population of Syrian refugees, has seen a significant movement of people amid escalating regional conflicts. As of late September, nearly 770,000 Syrian refugees were registered with the U.N. in Lebanon, with many more unregistered. Recent weeks saw refugees moving between Syria and Lebanon as opposition forces advanced toward Damascus. — Agencies
