The advances in the past week are by far the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations.
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00:00Syrian insurgents say they have entered the capital, Damascus, and that President Bashar
00:06al-Assad has fled the country. It is the culmination of a lightning advance across the country
00:12that began on the 27th of November. Syrian state media had previously denied rumors that
00:17Assad had fled, saying he was performing his duties in Damascus. But Arabic media quoting
00:23the rebels say he boarded a plane on Saturday night and left Syria for an unknown destination.
00:29In the early hours of Sunday, Syrian army command notified members of the military that
00:33Assad's 24-year rule had come to an end. Assad has had little, if any, help from his allies.
00:40Russia has most of its forces tied up with the war in Ukraine, and Lebanon-based Hezbollah
00:45has been weakened by a year-long conflict with Israel. The rebel uprising, which began
00:50just 12 days ago, saw opposition fighters also take the cities of Aleppo and Homs.
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