Fall of Damascus

For other offensives, see Battle of Damascus.

On 7 December 2024, the Syrian opposition group known as the Southern Operations Room led forces that entered the Rif Dimashq region from the south, and those forces then came within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the capital Damascus. The Syrian Arab Army withdrew from multiple points in the outskirts. Concurrently with the advance towards Damascus, opposition militia Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in the north launched an offensive into Homs, while the Revolutionary Commando Army advanced into the capital from the southeast. By 8 December 2024, rebel forces entered the city's Barzeh neighborhood. According to official state reports in Russian mass media, President Bashar al-Assad left Damascus by air to Moscow, where he has been granted asylum, sealing the fall of his regime.

Fall of Damascus
Part of the Southern Syria offensive (2024) during the Syrian civil war
Military advances in Syria towards Damascus   Controlled by the Syrian Arab Republic   Controlled by the Syrian opposition
Date 7–8 December 2024 (1 day) Location Damascus and Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria Status Syrian opposition victory Syrian Army surrenders the capital to the opposition Bashar al-Assad flees the capital Collapse of pro-Assad forces Fall of Ba'athist Syria Beginning of the Israeli invasion of Syria
Belligerents
Southern Operations Room Revolutionary Commando Army Syrian Salvation Government (final phase)	Ba'athist Syria
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad al-Awda Salem Turki al-Antri Ahmed al-Sharaa (final phase)	Bashar al-Assad
Units involved
Southern Front Tahrir al-Sham (final phase)	Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army Syrian Army Command Republican Guard

Military situation as of December 2024:

  Syrian transitional government (various groups)

  Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (SDF)

  Syrian Interim Government (SNA) and Turkish occupation

  Russian occupation

  Israeli occupation

  Islamic State

For a detailed map, see here.

Background

Main article: Syrian civil war

The civil war in Syria is a multi-sided conflict with extensive foreign involvement by both states and individuals. The main source of many sides was discontent with Bashar al-Assad's government following the Arab Spring in 2011. The four main opposing forces in the Syrian civil war are the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Syrian opposition, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and the Salafi Jihadists. The Syrian Arab Republic has been backed by Russia, Iran, and Iraq. The Syrian opposition is a collection of forces opposed to Assad's government. They were supported by the United States until 2017 and have since been designated as a terrorist organization. the AANES's military forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces, is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Turkey and other countries. Salafi Jihadists are terrorist organizations with connections to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

The Syrian rebels launched an offensive in November of 2024 that sought to end the Syrian Arab Republic.

Prelude

In November 2024, after the rebel capture of Aleppo, reports emerged of a coup led by Syrian State Security Director General Hossam Louka against the Assad government. The Syrian Army General Command as well as the Iranian ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, both denied these reports.

After the fall of Hama, the government began redeploying its troops from Eastern Ghouta, including Douma and Harasta, to its entrances and exits.

Iran began withdrawing its personnel from Syria in the early hours of 6 December 2024, pulling out top commanders of the IRGC's Quds Force and ordering evacuations at the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and at IRGC bases across Syria. Evacuating Iranians headed towards Lebanon and Iraq. China also actively assisted its citizens in leaving the country.

By the beginning of 7 December 2024, rebels had captured most of Daraa Governorate and Suwayda Governorate and granted safe passage to some pro-government forces towards Damascus.

Events

On 7 December 2024, Syrian rebels announced that they started surrounding Damascus after capturing nearby towns, with rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani stating: "Our forces have begun implementing the final phase of encircling the capital Damascus." The rebels started encircling the capital after capturing Al-Sanamayn, a town 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the southern entrance of Damascus.

In the Rif Dimashq region, pro-government forces withdrew from the towns of Assal al-Ward, Yabroud, Flitah, Al-Naseriyah and Artouz, while rebels came within 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of Damascus. The Syrian government denied claims that its army had withdrawn from positions near the city. By the evening, pro-government forces had left the towns on the outskirts of Damascus, including Jaramana, Qatana, Muadamiyat al-Sham, Darayya, Al-Kiswah, Al-Dumayr, Daraa and sites near the Mezzeh Air Base.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Syrian rebels were active in the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana, Muadamiyah, and Darayya, and were marching from the east toward Harasta. In the main square of Jaramana, protestors took down a statue of Hafez al-Assad. In the evening, pro-government forces reportedly withdrew from several suburbs where large-scale protests broke out.

As Southern Front forces advanced in the suburbs of Damascus, the Revolutionary Commando Army was reported closing in on the capital from the north, after taking control of Palmyra, as well as Darayya.

According to The Guardian, videos showed Syrian police and army forces removing their uniforms in the streets of Damascus and an Associated Press journalist reported seeing armed residents along the roads in Damascus's outskirts and finding the city's main police headquarters abandoned. Tank movements were reported in central squares of the capital, while calls of "God is great" rang out from mosques.

During the night, rebels announced that a "group" of senior government officials and military officers in Damascus were preparing to defect to the opposition. That same night, the Sednaya prison was captured and its inmates freed. Pro-government Sham FM radio reported that Damascus airport had been evacuated and all flights halted.

During the early hours of 8 December 2024 the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian government forces were disbanding after being informed by superiors that the regime had fallen following the departure of a private flight from an airport in Damascus. The capture of Homs that same morning by Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian National Army effectively cut Damascus off from al-Assad's coastal strongholds of Tartus and Latakia.

By 8 December 2024, Damascus was captured by the rebels and Bashar al-Assad had fled. A group of opposition figures announced their victory over a Syrian state television broadcast. Simultaneously, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali expressed his readiness to "extend its hand" to the opposition. The Syrian Army Command put two contradictory statements out: one of admission of defeat and a second to continue its fight against "terrorist groups", specifically in Homs, Hama and Daraa.

Bashar al-Assad's whereabouts

On 7 December 2024, Syrian state media denied allegations that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad had fled Damascus. He was reportedly not at any of the sites in Damascus where he had usually been present, and the presidential guard was not deployed at his usual residence. Rebel forces found no solid intelligence on al-Assad's location despite attempts to locate him. Senior Syrian officers later shared reports that Assad had left Damascus on a plane, which was later confirmed by Russia.

On 8 December Russian state media reported that Assad and his family had fled to Moscow and been granted asylum by Russia. A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed on 9 December that Russian president Vladimir Putin "had personally granted asylum to Assad." The spokesperson refused to comment on the specific whereabouts of Assad, saying that Putin was not planning to meet him.

Aftermath

In the wake of the rebel capture of Damascus, several places in the capital were ransacked, including Iran's embassy, Assad's estates, and government offices; the Central Bank of Syria was besieged and the reception hall of the Presidential Palace was set on fire. Statues of Hafez Al Assad were toppled nationwide. The Russian and Chinese embassies were untouched. The rebels announced a 13-hour curfew in the capital amidst heavy armed rebel presence and traffic in the capital. Syrian State Television, now under rebel control, resumed broadcasting.

Israel bombed the Mezzeh Air Base in Damascus, possibly to prevent weapons reaching Hezbollah. Another strike targeted an alleged Iranian research center used for missile development in the Kafr Sousa district. The Israeli army also crossed the border into Syria, seizing territory adjacent to the border after it was abandoned by the Syrian Arab Army.

Sources indicate that an agreement to transfer power to an interim government could be signed by 9 December 2024.

Reactions

Main article: Reactions to the Syrian opposition offensives (2024)

• Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the fall of the Assad dictatorship "ends decades of brutal oppression" and said that Canada is monitoring the transition closely.
• China: The Foreign Ministry stated that it "is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible" and urged all parties to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Syria.
• European Union: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the end of Assad's rule a "positive and long-awaited development" and stated she was in close contact with regional ministers. She emphasized that rebuilding Syria would be "long and complicated".
• France: President Emmanuel Macron commented on social media: "The barbaric state has fallen. At last. I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience." He added that France would remain committed to security in the Middle East.
• Germany: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the end of the Assad regime as "a big relief for millions of people in Syria" while warning that "the country must not fall into the hands of other radicals".
• Indonesia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the Embassy of Indonesia in Damascus attacked by stray bullets from the Syrian Opposition Forces and causing minor damages to the building on 9 December 2024. No casualties and injured reported from the attack. The ministry asked Indonesian citizens in Syria to keep calm and avoid getting out of their residence.
• Iran: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had successfully evacuated Embassy personnel.
• Qatar: Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani criticized Assad for failing to use the previous lull in fighting to address Syria's underlying problems, stating: "Assad didn't seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people."
• Russia: Following Russia's call for its citizens to leave Syria, the Russian Embassy reported that all its staff members were safe following the fall of Damascus. Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that it was in contact with "all groups of the Syrian opposition", but played no role in negotiations.
• United Kingdom: Prime minister Keir Starmer said: "The Syrian people have suffered under Assad's barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure. Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails, and peace and stability is restored".
• United Nations: Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an "orderly political transition" and the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2254.
• United States: The White House reported that "President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners". In a televised speech addressed to Americans on 8 December 2024, U.S. president Joe Biden stated: "At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized, tortured, and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice".

Analysis

Russian political scientist Andrey Kortunov compared the events in Damascus to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021, arguing that, like Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Al-Assad had failed to unite Syrians and achieve national reconciliation. Journalist Vitaly Ryumshin shared this comparison, but partially defended the Syrian government, arguing that the lack of reform was due to economic sanctions on the country and loss of control over the oil's resources to the United States and the Kurds; he also noted that, while Ghani's political and military weakness was apparent, Assad looked like the dominant power in Syria, which makes his collapse "even more unbelievable".