syrian rebels declare damascus is free as the assad family's half—century in power ends. the bbc is in damascus. as we came into the city, we saw military equipment into the road, banded, even uniforms, military uniforms taken off and soldiersjoining the population. russia says assad is now in moscow as his palace is looted. as syrians celebrate around the world, international leaders welcome the fall of bashar al—assad's regime. a fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice, a fall of the regime is a fundamental act ofjustice, a fundamental act of justice, a moment fundamental act ofjustice, a moment of historic opportunity for the long—suffering people of syria, to build a better future for their power the country. as the main rebel group leader

abu mohammed al—jolani, speaks to crowds at a historic mosque in damascus exactly who are his group and what do they believe? hello, i'm maryam moshiri. welcome to bbc news. russian news agencies _ welcome to bbc news. russian news agencies have _ welcome to bbc news. russian news agencies have confirmed i news agencies have confirmed that how bashar is in what was so —— must go and has been granted political asylum. the man who led the islamist rebels has been addressing cheering supporters for the first time since arriving in damascus he told supporters at the mosque that's all syrians could now breathe freely and said that the way had spread sectarianism and corruption but in a sign —— they had welcomed the four but in a sign of how assertive the

feature syria may be, it is released strikes have struck targets in the region. russia had propped up assad and his fatherfor many decades had propped up assad and his father for many decades but in the past few days, their focus has shifted. he is an analysis from our russia editor steve rosenberg. they reported that assad and his family had been arriving in moscow and granted asylum out of humanitarian considerations russian state television have also created sources say the same thing. the anchor i details, quoting a source in the kremlin saying that russia had always supported the idea of a political settlement of a syrian crisis. he said that russian officials are in contact with representatives of the syrian armed opposition,

whose leaders have guaranteed the security of russian limbic —— military bases and diplomatic institutions and added that we hope political dialogue will continue in the interests of the syrian people and the development of bilateral relations between russia and syria. clearly, there is quoting a source in there is quoting a source in the kremlin but it is state outlets quoting it so i do not think that there is any doubt about it but clearly moscow is trying to find a language, trying to find a language, trying to find a language, trying to continue a dialogue with syria prospect a new leadership. moscow's big concern is the fate of its two military bases in assyria, and air base and the naval base at tartarus, giving moscow a foothold in the eastern mediterranean in the last four years and russia does not want to lose that. clearly, from this, we can see a dialogue is going on now with asti russian

state tv and could put it, represented —— for percentages of the syrian armed opposition to talk about things like this and to talk about the future relationship. even though, bosco had supported basher al has had for nine years and sent in all this military assistant to show him up and keep him up for the past nine years, russia is now trying to find a dialogue of the new leadership now that he has been toppled. the us military central, says that it has carried out more than 75 air strikes in what it says are islamic state targets inside syria. he spoke surfers —— —— person said it was to prevent the groups considered to be terrorists organisations taken advantage in of these

current situation in syria. this is what a little bit of what president biden had a say in the right has a straight while ago. in the right has a straight while age-— in the right has a straight while ao. �* , ., , ., while ago. after 13 years of civil war — while ago. after 13 years of civil war in _ while ago. after 13 years of civil war in syria, _ while ago. after 13 years of civil war in syria, more - while ago. after 13 years of| civil war in syria, more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by the assad and his father before him, rebel forces are forced to resign his office and for the country. we are not sure if these were in moscow. at long last, the assad regime has falling. this ratio brutalised, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent syrians. the fall of this resume is a fundamental act of justice, the fall of this resume is a fundamental act ofjustice, a fundamental act of justice, a moment fundamental act ofjustice, a moment of historic opportunity for the long—suffering people of syria, to build a better future for their part the country. it is also a moment of risk and uncertainty as we all turn to the question of what comes next, the night it says it will work with our partners and stakeholders in syria to

help them seize an opportunity —— united states will work with our partners and stakeholders in syria. it our partners and stakeholders in s ria. , ., our partners and stakeholders ins ria. ,., , in syria. it is our stake department _ in syria. it is our stake department for- in syria. it is our stake department for more i in syria. it is our stake - department for more than what president biden had to say. what he was doing was trying to _ had to say. what he was doing was trying to send... - had to say. what he was doing was trying to send... the - had to say. what he was doing l was trying to send... the hamas led attacks against israel of october the sabbath and then the subsequent israeli —— october the 7th and then the six... along with a run, propping up the assad regime inside syria, what he effectively said it is because of that approach to take out and decapitate hezbollah and because russia had not its invasion into ukraine which the

us had forcefully pushed back against by arming the ukrainians, that it had weakened the two big forces, russia and iran outside of syria propping up assad, so he was basically trying to take american credit for this fundamental shift in syria and the historic toppling of president assad and therefore, spoke about the end of a brutal dictator and had this opened up new opportunities for the people of assyria. that is the credit part of it. he went on to talk about, which you had, the risks. you have now a vacuum and they are so sick in the white house about what that gets filled with. —— are seriously concerned. gets filled with. -- are seriously concerned. clearly president — seriously concerned. clearly president biden _ seriously concerned. clearly president biden is _ seriously concerned. clearly president biden is worried l president biden is worried about that is what can american do, clearly is not president for much longer?— do, clearly is not president for much longer? while they are limited here. _

for much longer? while they are limited here. they _ for much longer? while they are limited here. they have - for much longer? while they are limited here. they have about i limited here. they have about 900 trips each of the euphrates and ad conflicts in zone —— ad conflicts in zone, the fact is that the america's amount of their support what they at a time so as moderate rebels across earlier in the obama error with russia raiding in, we saw extremists dominating on the battlefield. they do not have a huge amount of political capital inside the country so what they would do, i think, is that they will double down on their support for kurdish and arab fighters in the east of the country. they will push what has been a un process that had been trying to get aside to engage with the opposition groups in syria but that will transition to a push for the remnants of the regime to get some sort of negotiated settlement with the opposition groups are effectively in

charge and have all the momentum behind them so the us will try and push that, heavily leaning on those factions that it supports in eastern syria and protect her but as i say, it has had a fairly limited ability to leveraged the situation on the ground, particularly until the west of the euphrates. they're going to have to work with other crucial partners around syria, notably turkey but also jordan, lebanon, turkey but alsojordan, lebanon, israel, all the other countries and iraq that are crucially involved in all of this and will always be part of any spill—over if the situation worsens. any spill-over if the situation worsens. ., , �* , any spill-over if the situation worsens. . h, ,, worsens. that is,'s assessment from washington. _ worsens. that is,'s assessment from washington. our- from washington. our correspondent is there in damascus. the bbc is only which is what has to in in the city. here's her report. this is an

assured repayment, a seismic change in syria's balance of power. this is an assured repayment, a seismic change in syria's balance of power. the strongman of damascus bashar al assad is gone. rebels have declared victory. we were the first western journalist to reach the capitaljust hours after it fell. this is where people are celebrating in the central unwired square, civilians and rebels can hear the sound of zealotry —— celebratory gunfire. they're giving peace signs, saying that life is going to be so much better now that assad is gone. there is a mix ofjoy and fear in the city, the others who supported share al assad, protected by him another one doing what is going to happen. here, i spoke to people who have long been waiting for this downfall. translation: thank ou, downfall. translation: thank you. thank— downfall. translation: thank you. thank yon _ downfall. translation: thank you, thank you. the _ downfall. translation: thank you, thank you. the tyrant - downfall. translation: thank you, thank you. the tyrant has | you, thank you. the tyrant has fallen, the tyrant as falling. many of her family died under

president assad's rule. my cousin, my son, my family all gone! all of them.— cousin, my son, my family all gone! all of them. how are you feelin: ? gone! all of them. how are you feeling? it _ gone! all of them. how are you feeling? it is _ gone! all of them. how are you feeling? it is an _ gone! all of them. how are you feeling? it is an indescribable l feeling? it is an indescribable feelin: . feeling? it is an indescribable feeling- we — feeling? it is an indescribable feeling. we are _ feeling? it is an indescribable feeling. we are so _ feeling? it is an indescribable feeling. we are so happy. - feeling? it is an indescribable i feeling. we are so happy. after all the years of dictatorships, we have lived through, we were imprisoned in 2014 and now we are out. now, we are at the moment that we're going to go to the greatest syria. the moment that we're going to go to the greatest syria.— to the greatest syria. the old s ria has to the greatest syria. the old syria has gone _ to the greatest syria. the old syria has gone with _ syria has gone with breathtaking speed. the army, melting away in the face of the rebel advance. last week, aleppo, yesterday the city of homs, last night, the outskirts of damascus, when they arrived, rebels went straight to a notorious prison to set the inmates free. today, their leader took a victory tour

visiting the historic mosque, head of the islamist group hts. he has been playing down plastics to al-anda, say he wants to build a syria for all its people —— past links to al-anda. forthe its people —— past links to al-anda. for the syria prime minister, is also a message. also concerned about his country and its institutions and facility. i am here 1525 00:12: