A war monitor reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has departed from the country

A Syrian war monitor has reported that President Bashar al-Assad has left the country following significant territorial losses to a rapid offensive led by an Islamist-led rebel coalition, which claimed to have entered Damascus on Sunday. Residents in the capital described intense gunfire to AFP, and a source close to Hezbollah reported that fighters from the group, a critical ally of Assad, had abandoned positions around Damascus.

The reported departure of the president comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group launched a campaign challenging over five decades of Assad family rule.

According to Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, "Assad left Syria via Damascus International Airport before the army security forces left the facility." AFP has not yet independently verified this claim.

HTS forces announced they had captured Damascus' Sednaya Prison, a facility infamous for the regime's abuses, and declared an "end to the era of tyranny." Hours earlier, the group claimed to have seized Homs, a strategic city approximately 140 kilometers north of the capital, marking the third major city captured since the offensive began on November 27. The Syrian defense ministry, however, denied that rebels had entered Homs, asserting that the area remained "safe and stable."

In Damascus, the Britain-based Observatory confirmed that the gates of Sednaya Prison had been opened, releasing thousands of detainees imprisoned under Assad's rule. Meanwhile, the Interior Minister, Mohammed al-Rahmoun, dismissed claims of military withdrawal around the capital, insisting that a "strong security and military cordon" was in place to prevent breaches.

Hezbollah forces, long-time backers of Assad, reportedly vacated their positions around Damascus, with fighters moving toward Latakia in Syria and the Hermel area in Lebanon. A Hezbollah source disclosed to AFP that some 2,000 fighters had been sent near the Lebanese border to "defend their positions."

As the situation intensified, Damascus residents described widespread panic. "The situation was normal this morning, but suddenly everyone was scared," said Rania, a local resident. In a stark contrast, in a nearby suburb, protesters reportedly toppled a statue of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father and predecessor.

In Hama, images from AFPTV showed abandoned and burning tanks, while residents celebrated the city’s capture by rebel forces. Kharfan Mansour, a local, expressed joy over "the liberation of Hama and Syria from the Assad regime."

Government forces appear to be retreating from key areas. The Observatory noted that the army had lost control of southern Daraa province, where the 2011 uprising began, and was withdrawing from Quneitra near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. In Sweida, local fighters stated they had assumed control of vital facilities following the government's retreat.

Reports also indicate that around 2,000 Syrian troops, including officers, have fled into Iraq via the Al-Qaim border crossing.

The HTS offensive has led to significant casualties, with at least 826 people killed, including 111 civilians, and has displaced 370,000 people, according to the Observatory. The United Nations has called for urgent political talks to resolve the crisis, while international powers remain divided.

The United States and Turkey have called for a political solution, while Russia and Iran, Assad’s key allies, stress the inadmissibility of allowing a terrorist group to gain control of Syrian territory. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remarked on Syria’s exhaustion from "war, blood, and tears," reflecting the widespread desire for an end to the conflict.