The five-decade Assad dynasty in Syria came to an unexpected end as rebel groups made a swift break-through from their stronghold. The oppositionʼs fast-paced advance led to a domino-effect collapse of government control in many urban centers
The rebels quick march towards Damascus showed the regimes weakness — Syrian military units simply disappeared without putting up resistance (something nobody expected from such a well-armed force). Multiple cities fell to opposition groups who faced almost no push-back from local authorities
The final blow came when insurgents entered the capital city where they met zero opposition from security forces. Bashar Assad who took power from his father Hafez about 24 years ago and kept iron grip on Syria; left the country in a hurry to an unknown destination. His departure marked the end of familyʼs half-century control over the middle-eastern nation