Assad dynasty collapses in Syria as rebel forces claim Damascus

The more than 50-year Assad dynastic dictatorship was on the cusp of collapse on Sunday, as rebel forces seized the capital of Damascus in a lightning offensive that has swept the country’s largest cities in a matter of days.

The defense forces of the Russia and Iran-backed government have been struggling to stymy the rebel advance that kicked off with the rapid sweep of northern city Aleppo last week, breaking a years-long stalemate. The attack has been led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) —  which the U.S. and U.N. Security Council designated as a terrorist organization — and its allies, who have widened the scope of their campaign to the south of the country and now also captured the key cities of Hama and Deir el-Zor.

“We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad,” Hassan Abdul-Ghani, senior HTS commander, said in a post on WhatsApp. “To the displaced people around the world, Free Syria awaits you.”

CNBC could not independently verify developments of the ground.

The whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, who assumed leadership in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, were uncertain. Multiple media reports, which CNBC could not independently confirm, state he has fled Damascus. The Russian Foreign Ministry later on Sunday said that Assad had decided to leave his presidential post and the country.

Syrian Prime Minister Ghazi al-Jalali said he remained at his home and was prepared to support the continuity of Syrian governance.

“We believe that Syria belongs to all Syrians and to all its citizens, and that this country can be a normal state, one that builds good relations with its neighbors without entering into any regional alliances or blocs,” he said, according to NBC News reporting. “This matter is left to any leadership chosen by the Syrian people, and we are ready to cooperate with them by providing all possible facilitation.”

The U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Sunday stressed this is a “watershed moment” in the Syrian civil war, calling for “stable and inclusive transitional arrangements.”

Several nations have evacuated their embassies amid the Damascus conflict, with outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden “closely monitoring” the events and retaining contact with regional partners, according to White House National Security Council Spokesman Sean Savett.

The advance on Damascus comes after militants reached Homs – the country’s third-largest city and a chokepoint between rebel-held territories and the capital city. Holding Homs would pose significant challenges for the rebels, who would have to confront a concentration of government forces and gain the support of local pro-Assad Alawite communities, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Qutaiba Idlbi wrote on Dec. 5.

“More importantly, the rebels advancing…