Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane and left to an unknown destination, reports Reuters.
Citing two senior army officers familiar with the incident the media reported on Sunday that Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning rebel offensive.
The rebels of the country were seen saying, “Damascus now free of Assad” and entering the country’s capital. However, there was no sign of army deployment.
Thousands of people in cars and on foot amalgamated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom”, citing witnesses the media reported.
“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” said the rebels.
Sednaya is a large military prison on the outskirts Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.
According to FlightTrader website, A Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels.
The aircraft initially flew towards Syria's coastal region, a stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect, but then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing off the map. However, the media immediately couldn’t ascertain who was on board.
The head of Syria's main opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian on Sunday also declared that Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad”.
Just hours earlier, rebels announced they had gained full control of the key city of Homs after only a day of fighting, leaving Assad's 24-year rule dangling by a thread.
Bd-Pratidin English/ Afsar Munna
