Live: Over 100,000 bodies found in mass grave near Damascus

Syria's army command has notified its officers that the Assad government has fallen, a Syrian officer informed on the situation told Reuters. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital Damascus. 

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory, stated that "Assad departed Syria through Damascus International Airport before the army's security forces vacated the facility."

Middle East Eye has not yet been able to independently verify the report.

Syrian opposition based in Turkey have said that Damascus is now "without Bashar al-Assad", according to Reuters. 
 

Syrian rebels have declared that the "free Syrian people have overthrown Bashar al-Assad," according to Al Jazeera. 

Syrian rebel sources say that government officers and personnel are withdrawing from the Ministry of Defence and General Staff headquarters in Damascus, according to Al Jazeera.

Thousands of Syrians in cars and on foot are congregating at Damascus's landmark Umayyad Square waving and chanting freedom, witnesses have told Reuters. 

Reporting by Reuters. 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane and left to an unknown destination, two senior army officers familiar with the incident told Reuters on Sunday.

Reporting by Reuters

Syrian rebels entered the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

The rebels say they have seized the Damascus International Airport.

They have also taken over the strategic state TV and radio building in the landmark Umayyad Square, which is in the heart of the capital. 

The notorious Sednaya Prison has also been liberated, they said. 

More to follow...

Our live coverage from Syria will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Events are unfolding rapidly in Syria. On Saturday alone, rebel forces seized control of several areas in the southern suburbs of Damascus, including Daraya and Moamadhia. 

The Syrian armed opposition announced it had liberated four cities—Daraa, Quneitra, Sweida, and Homs—within 24 hours. It added that its operations are ongoing to "liberate the entire Damascus countryside."

In other important developments: 

• In Doha, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey have met on the sidelines of a conference to discuss the situation in Syria

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that insecurity in Syria has regional consequences, emphasizing that Iran will “make every effort to ensure security and combat terrorists in Syria,” according to state news agency IRNA

• According to Iraqi state TV, more than 1,000 Syrian soldiers crossed into Iraq's Anbar province through al-Qaim border crossing

• Israel has reportedly threatened Syrian opposition groups against approaching its border at the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. According to the news outlet Walla, Israeli officials have communicated this message to several factions in Syria

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has stressed the need to maintain Syria's territorial integrity

• The incoming US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the unfolding crisis in Syria, asserting that opposition fighters have made significant gains in a "highly coordinated offensive"

• Concluding his post, Trump called for the United States to avoid any engagement in the Syrian conflict. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend," he wrote, emphasising that the US should "LET IT PLAY OUT" and stay out of the fight. "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!"

• Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Russia have issued a joint statement on Syria, warning that the ongoing situation is creating a "dangerous development" for the country's security

Armin Montazeri, foreign policy editor at Hammihan Daily, an Iranian newspaper, spoke to Middle East Eye on the fast unfolding events in Syria and the view from Tehran:

I think everybody in Iran believes that Assad will fall, and it's just a matter of time. I think the Doha negotiations, the meeting held today in Doha, were aimed at managing the unwanted consequences of such a fall. As for the questions: if Assad falls, naturally, the path from Syria to Lebanon will no longer work for Iran to support Hezbollah, leaving Hezbollah isolated.

This is because any government in Syria after Assad will undoubtedly fall under Turkey's influence. We all know that Turkey has relations with Israel and America and motives to play the "Syria card" in its power dynamics with the United States.

Therefore, any new power in Syria will not permit Iran to assist Hezbollah through Syria's borders. Before all of this unfolds, though, we need to see whether Iran will retain a strong political position in Syria after Assad, similar to the one it had before. Additionally, Israel will likely monitor these routes more closely than ever, particularly those along the Lebanese and Syrian borders.

Hezbollah has suffered significant blows over the past three months and has even agreed to a ceasefire. It can be assumed that Hezbollah will face increased pressure from its opponents within Lebanon due to the absence of Iranian support. I think we will see Hezbollah pushed into a corner in the coming months or the next year.

As for Syria, it's still too early to predict definitively. However, given the experience of Syria's civil war in recent years and the number of foreign players involved—Turkey, the USA, Russia, Iran, and the Arab states—there is a strong possibility that another power struggle will emerge, with all these players pulling their strings simultaneously.

Additionally, the structure of the Sunni rebels in Syria is not very unified. They have internal differences that could deepen as soon as they come to power. If that happens, Syria might plunge into a very different kind of civil war.

One thing is certain, though: in the coming years, Syria will become a battleground for intense competition between Iran and Turkey. This competition could even spill over into Iraq.

Syrian armed opposition sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that their forces have entered the city of Al-Qusayr, located in the Homs countryside near the border with Lebanon.

The opposition confirmed they have taken full control of the city of Homs.

The Syrian opposition declared that the city of Homs has been fully liberated.

This follows a statement from Ahmed Sharaa, the commander-in-chief of the opposition’s operations department who had earlier confirmed that complete control over Homs was near, noting that the opposition was in the final stages of liberating the city.

The Syrian armed opposition reported that its forces are currently combing the neighborhoods of Homs following the withdrawal of regime troops, Al Jazeera Arabic. 

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, commander of the opposition operations room, also known as Al-Julani, confirmed that full control of the city is imminent. He added that the opposition is in the final stages of liberating Homs.

Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Russia have issued a joint statement on Syria, warning that the ongoing situation is creating a "dangerous development" for the country's security.

The statement underscored the necessity for all parties to work towards a "political solution to the Syrian crisis" to halt military operations and safeguard civilians.

It also called for increased international cooperation to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria, ensuring its unimpeded access to all areas in need.

The ministers urged an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254 to prevent further chaos and terrorism in the country. They also emphasized the importance of facilitating the voluntary return of refugees and displaced individuals. 

Reuters cited a senior Syrian army officer who confirmed that army and security leaders were evacuated by helicopter from the Shayrat military base in the Homs countryside to the coast.