as people take to the streets to celebrate the end of the assad regime. you can hear the sound of celebratory gunfire. people are driving around in their cars. they are giving me peace signs. they are saying life is going to be so much better now that bashar al—assad is gone. syria's former president, bashar al—assad, is reportedly in moscow — claiming asylum from key ally russia. western leaders welcome the end of assad's rule, but warn of uncertainty to come. we begin the programme with our continuing coverage of developments in syria. russian state media announced sunday that the country's former president bashar al—assad and his family are in moscow.

they are also said to have been granted political asylum. a kremlin source said it is based on �*humanitarian considerations. it is based on �*humanitarian it comes hours after rebel groups took control of syria's capital — forcing assad to flee. the man who led the islamist rebels, toppling assad — addressed cheering supporters in a damascus mosque shortly after. mohammad al—joulani — whose real name is ahmed al—sharaa — told supporters that all syrians could now breathe freely. he said assad's leadership had spread sectarianism and corruption. our middle east correspondent barbara plett usher was the first western journalist to enter damascus as the city fell. she sent us this report. this is an extraordinary moment, 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 journalists to reach the capital, just hours after it fell.

this is where people are celebrating in the central umayyad square, civilians and rebels. you can hear the sound of celebratory gunfire. people are driving around in their cars, they are giving me peace signs. they are saying that life is going to be so much better now that bashar al—assad is gone. but there is a mix ofjoy and fear in the city. there are those who supported bashar al—assad, who felt they were protected by him, and now they're wondering what is going to happen. here, i spoke to people who have long been waiting for his downfall. "thank you, thank you", she says. "the tyrant has fallen, the tyrant has fallen." many of her family died under president assad's rule, some in prison. my cousin, my son, my family. all... all of them. how are you feeling? translation: it is an indescribable feeling, we are so happy. _ after all the years of dictatorship

we have lived through, we were imprisoned in 2014, and now we're out, thank god. we won because of our men and ourfighters, and now we're at the moment that we are going to build the greatest syria. the old syria has gone with breathtaking speed, the army melting away in the face of the rebel advance. last week, it was aleppo, yesterday the city of homs, last night the outskirts of damascus. when they arrived, the rebels went straight to a notorious prison to set the inmates free. today, their leader took a victory tour of damascus, visiting the historic umayyad mosque. abu mohammed al—jawlani, head of the islamic group hayat tahrir al—sham. my colleague was there for bbc arabic. a historic moment, in every sense of the word —

abu mohammed al—jawlani here for the first time, in the great umayyad mosque. the rebel commander has been playing down past links to al-qaeda, saying he wants to build a syria for all its people. from the syrian prime minister, also a message of calm. translation: we are all. concerned about this country and its institutions and facilities. i am here in my home and i do not intend to leave it, except in a peaceful manner, in order to ensure the continuation of the work of public institutions. the president fled as the rebels closed in. reports in russia now say he's turned up in moscow. a statue of his father pulled down shortly before he flew out of the country. his damascus residence now a tourist attraction, stripped bare of anything valuable, of anything at all. we saw people carrying out furniture, with no one trying to stop them.

the rebels may have brought freedom but not security. looters have been breaking into buildings here, too, deepening anxiety about this in—between time without a government in charge. the transition has to happen super—quick. our president shouldn't have just left. he should have taken the proper measures that are needed for him to actually give the keys to the army or the police, you know, control over those areas until a new president comes in, but he was purely selfish and he left. the country is hoping for peace and fearing chaos. different groups control different areas, no one knows how this will play out, but whatever happens here will be felt across the middle east. barbara plett usher inside syria the assad family controlled

syria for 53 years. president bashar al—assad took power in 2000 after his father had held power since the early 1970s. russia propped up the assad dynasty for decades, but in the past few years, its focus had shifted. 0ur russia editor steve rosenberg has more on the news reported by russian state television. it was a brief announcement, a kremlin sourcin- that bashar kremlin sourcing that bashar al—assad and his family had arrived in moscow, had been given asylum on medicare and grounds. i think that these extraordinary events we have been witnessing are a major blow to the kremlin. after all, russia, russia's intervention in the syrian war was driven to a large extent by russia's desire to protect itself as a global power, shoring up assad, was seen as a way of challenging the west, and now in a matter of days, this kremlin— syria project has unraveled in dramatic circumstances.

i think that russia's priority note will be the fates of its two main military bases in syria, one air base, which had given russia and would hold in the eastern mediterranean. meanwhile, tonight, russian state television is telling russians this, this tv stud, quit or of course, we are not indifferent to what is happening in syria, but our priority is russia's own security in the zone of the special military occupation, washer —— russia's war in ukraine". that language, we are not indifferent to what is happening in syria, ifound it quite extraordinary in russia, culture which for years has done possible to keep assad in power but has failed. steve rosenberg there. there has been reaction from leaders and officials around the world. the un security council says it will hold closed consultations on syria on monday, at russia's request. meanwhile, us presidentjoe biden called the fall of the assad regime

�*a moment of historic opportunity�*, while saying there remains �*risk and uncertainty�*. at long last the assad regime has fallen _ at long last the assad regime has fallen. this surgeon killed and tortured — fallen. this surgeon killed and tortured thousands of syrians, it's a moment— tortured thousands of syrians, it's a moment of historic opportunity for a moment of historic opportunity for a long _ a moment of historic opportunity for a long suffering people of syria. to build _ a long suffering people of syria. to build a _ a long suffering people of syria. to build a better future for their pride — build a better future for their pride country. it is also in moments of risk_ pride country. it is also in moments of risk and — pride country. it is also in moments of risk and uncertainty as we all turned — of risk and uncertainty as we all turned to— of risk and uncertainty as we all turned to the question of what comes next _ the pentagon says us warplanes struck more than 75 islamic state targets in syria on sunday.for more on the view here in washington, i spoke to our state department correspondent, tom bateman. president biden spoke earlier today, calling this moment both an opportunity but a risk, what more can you tell us about his remarks?

the white house has been stunned by the speed and magnitude of the rebel advance under downfall of bashar al—assad in syria, but at the same time, president biden is trying to take part of the credit for it. what you said during that statement from the roosevelt room a bit earlier was that it was a consequence of his foreign policy decisions over the last four years. firstly, to bolster ukraine against russia�*s full—scale invasion in 2022, and then support weapons into israel after the micro attacks of october seven and also to facilitate its attacks on hezbollah in lebanon, that it was those factors, he said, that that basically eroded the power of russia and iran, it to outside powers that had been propping up for assad in syria. that is the way he took the credit for it. as i said, on the other hand, he acknowledged the fact that this is a moment of great

uncertainty. you now have, leading the charge to damascus, and essentially for all intents and purposes, the biggest power broker so far in damascus, hts, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the united states, so what comes next? who rules syria? and that is something now crucial for the administration, for while it is sharing this moment of euphoria up is sharing this moment of euphoria up with many syrians at the downfall of assad, that won�*t last long, and the q. week us to know is does it get replaced with something even less amenable to the americans than what was there before? we less amenable to the americans than what was there before?— what was there before? we also assume when — what was there before? we also assume when president - what was there before? we also assume when president biden . what was there before? we also l assume when president biden was delivering the remarks, that he was offering, he was talking about the us supports that would come, but i wonder if you speaking of someone will be an outgoing president, so how much do those —— way to blue those promises carrying given the fact that an incoming administration which would likely see a shift in

foreign policy? we which would likely see a shift in foreign policy?— foreign policy? we are in crisis management _ foreign policy? we are in crisis management moments, - foreign policy? we are in crisis management moments, so - foreign policy? we are in crisis l management moments, so what foreign policy? we are in crisis - management moments, so what the white house sings are critical of the moments, including things like to degree which they try to bolster the trade presence east of the euphrates and the border with iraq and georgia, all of that, officially, to counter the islamic state group there, and we�*ve seen a lot of big american air strikes in central syria against those positions today, the pentagon seen it is the warning against iis. it gives a sense of the battlefield is erupting, telling iis not to take advantage of the current situation. everyone is trying to take control and shore up the lines as they have them at the moments, and that includes the americans in syria, so that matters. as you allude to, in the longer term, president trump coming in, he has been talking and i bolted on social media over the last

24 bolted on social media over the last 2a hours, basically saying it is all the 0bama�*s faults, they syrian syria, russia is right to get out, the country is a mess, and it is not their problem, and i expect we would see him continue that position on this. the reality on the ground is a lot more complicated, his own officials had to undo his announcement of for the withdrawal of american troops during his first term. would he try and do the same again? we still have a way to go until then emma but incidentally, the other thing he is trying to do is use this as a moment to exploit some weakness on the part of vladimir putin, saying that he should take a deal at the same time in ukraine as well. israel�*s prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, says the collapse of the syrian government is a direct result of his country�*s forceful action against hezbollah and iran. he says he has ordered israeli troops to temporarily seize areas in the buffer zone between the israeli—occupied golan heights and syria to prevent hostile forces embedding themselves there. meanwhile, british prime minister sir keir starmer

is currently in abu dhabi, where he gave his reaction to the syrian rebels�* victory. i welcome the fact that assad has gone. the syrian people had to put up with his brutal regime for far too long. we are talking to regional allies and it's very important now that there is a political settlement, a political way forward and it's very important that we emphasise that civilians and minorities must be protected. very pleased that assad has fallen. joining me live is colin clarke, director of research at the soufan group. always good to have you on bbc news, particularly at the time of extraordinary turn of events. we have heard from many syrians today, let is at this moment and celebrates, on the other hand there is a sense of uncertainty about what comes next, how do you assess this moment in serious history?-

moment in serious history? thank you for havin: moment in serious history? thank you for having me. — moment in serious history? thank you for having me, always _ moment in serious history? thank you for having me, always good _ moment in serious history? thank you for having me, always good to - moment in serious history? thank you for having me, always good to join - for having me, always good tojoin you. at the human level, you cannot not enjoy the freedom that you�*re seeing people set a bit, people that i�*ve never had the taste of freedom, experiencing it for the first time in their lives. as a counterterrorism and international security analyst, i look at syria and i worry about the situation develop it into something akin to what we see in libya, what we have seenin what we see in libya, what we have seen in iraq, what we have seen in yemen, so it is great that assad is gone, he was an odious detector with a lot of blood in his hands, but now the hard work begins. as much as hts�*s offensive has been barnstorming through the country, the real nuts and bolts will be forming a consensus and trying to get all of these desperate actors to agree on a single form of governance, that is not easy. let us talk more about _ governance, that is not easy. let us talk more about mohammad - governance, that is not easy. let us - talk more about mohammad al-joulani, talk more about mohammad al—joulani, he has been trying to play down his previous links with al-qaeda, what

do you make of that? i previous links with al-qaeda, what do you make of that?— do you make of that? i never you want to believe _ do you make of that? i never you want to believe like _ do you make of that? i never you want to believe like he _ do you make of that? i never you want to believe like he looks - do you make of that? i never you want to believe like he looks like| want to believe like he looks like he is trying to refashion himself as a modern day shaikh 0�*hara, he is trying to refashion himself as a modern day shaikh o�*hara, and in many ways he�*s pretty polished, you saw his cnn interview, he said in the right things, almost looks like you been coach, talking about institution building, we have to look at his past, his affiliation with al-qaeda and previously and is notjust him he may have changed and that me the true, but there are lots of other individuals in the broader and barrel umbrella of hts and overseas including elements like the turkestan islamic party, which has weakerjihadists and others from central asia, so it�*s that difficult job to parse out what is going on and figure out in these early hours and figure out in these early hours and days what is going to happen, but i am sceptical, i am hedging my

bets, so to speak and i would suggest that washington do the same because we are sugges