in the post—assad regime era. this is the scene in the capital damascus right now. syria's opposition raises its flag at the embassy in moscow. russia has given bashar al—assad and his family political asylum and they are believed to be in the city. syria celebrates the downfall of a family dynasty that ruled for more than half a century. a historic moment in every sense of the word. abu mohammad al—jawlani here for the first time in the great umayyad mosque. in the great umayyad mosque. and rapperjay—z is accused and rapperjay—z is accused of raping a 13—year—old girl. of raping a 13—year—old girl. he's named with sean "diddy" he's named with sean "diddy" combs in a civil lawsuit. combs in a civil lawsuit. both deny the claim. both deny the claim. events in syria.

we start with the monumental we start with the monumental events in syria. the rebel coalition that toppled the brutal regime of president bashar al—assad and his father — that had controlled the country for more than 50 years — says it's working to form a transitional government. islamist fighters took the capital, damascus, yesterday, after sweeping through the country in less than a fortnight. people poured into the main square, chanting "freedom," after the rebels seized control. this is the scene live in damascas where it isjust gone midday. as we can see, people are once again out on the streets digesting the news that the assad regime is no more. syrian civil defence workers have deployed to the ousted

meeting later today to discuss the fall of the regime. let me show you the live pictures from the border between syria and lebanon. there have been long lines of cars as the many thousands of syrians who fled during president assad's rule have been returning both from neighbouring lebanon and jordan. nearly1.5 nearly 1.5 million of lebanon's 5 million population are syrian refugees. in russia we've seen the syrian opposition flag raised on the syrian embassy. according to russian state media the deposed syrian president, bashar al—assad, and his family have been granted asylum in russia.

a key ally of the former president. the us has led international reaction to the fall of the assad government with president biden describing it as a "fundamental act ofjustice" after decades of repression, but also a moment of risk and uncertainty. we'll have the latest from syria shortly but first this report from our middle east correspondent, hugo bachega. tears of happiness. gunfire. gunshots to celebrate the moment many in syria waited for decades to see. they are free of the assad regime, and their country is at a turning point. it was an astonishing campaign by rebels. they advanced quickly. last week they took aleppo. on the weekend, homs. and in a matter of hours, they were in damascus. in some places, they faced no resistance. the army was unable — and apparently unwilling —

to stop them. this is the end of a brutal regime that didn't tolerate dissent. the assads crushed any kind of opposition. they killed, arrested and tortured their critics. when the rebels arrived in the capital, they went straight to a well—known prison to set the inmates free. this is their leader, abu mohammad al—jawlani — head of the islamist group hayat tahrir al—sham. he took a victory tour of damascus, visiting the historic umayyad mosque. my colleague feras kilani was there for bbc arabic. a historic moment in every sense of the word. abu mohammad 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.

the president fled as the rebels closed in, a statue of his father was pulled down, and his residence in damascus was stripped bare by looters. people carried what they could, without anyone to stop them. for assad himself, russian state media says he and his family are now in moscow, and that they will be granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. his fall is a major setback for his allies, russia and iran, but has been welcomed in the west. we will engage with all syrian groups, including within the process led by the united nations, to establish a transition away from the assad regime. we have taken note of statements by the leaders of these revolutionaries and they are saying the right things now, but as they take on greater responsibility we will assess notjust their words but their actions. syrians are hoping for peace, but they fear chaos

and even more violence. this is a fractured country. different groups with different goals control different areas. many are celebrating now, but the road ahead is far from clear. hugo bachega, bbc news, on the turkish—syrian border. bashar al—assad is reported to be in russia where he has been granted asylum. russia has also requested an emergency meeting of the un security council to discuss what has been happening in syria. we can speak to our russia editor steve rosenberg in moscow. what has been the reaction in russia to what is happening in syria? russia to what is happening in s ria? �* , russia to what is happening in s ria? v ' . ., syria? it's difficult for russia to _ syria? it's difficult for russia to sugar-coatl syria? it's difficult for - russia to sugar-coat what is russia to sugar—coat what is happening. effectively this is a blow to russia and russia are's prestige when you

consider the resources, the huge amount of resources that russia poured in to trying to make sure that bashar al—assad stayed in power over the last nine years, their financial resources, political resources and of course military resources. russia are intervening in the syrian war intervening in the syrian war in 2015 to shore up assad, that sending thousands of troops and russian air power. keep in mind this intervention by russia was driven by russia's desire to project itself as a global power and to establish itself as the key power in the middle east, a power that could speak to all sides. and what have we seenin to all sides. and what have we seen in recent days? we have seen in recent days? we have seen this project, syria, unravelling for the kremlin in quite dramatic circumstances. so it is a blow and that's reflected by some of their headlines in today's russian papers. one paper said that

russia has lost its key ally in the middle east. another paper said the failure of assad's foreign allies to save him is a blow to their reputation. that's a reference to russia as well as iran. i think what we are seeing happening now is the russian papers this morning, a number of messages and a number of talking points are being emphasised, i think in an attempt by the authorities to try and minimise the embarrassment. one of the messages you pick up a lot of in today's russian papers is that this isn't moscow cross fault, this is the fault of the assad regime, the syrian authorities and the syrian army that didn't fight hard enough to keep power. the second message that is being pressed through the state media here is that without moscow's man in control the situation in syria could become more chaotic. the third key message you pick up on is that russians are being

told the war in ukraine is much more of a priority now for russia than the war in syria. in other words, these traumatic events in syria don't matter that much. i think the hope is on the part of the authorities that by pressing these messages the russian public will not start to question what has been happening in syria over the last nine years. we happening in syria over the last nine years.— happening in syria over the last nine years. we have seen the syrian _ last nine years. we have seen the syrian opposition - last nine years. we have seen the syrian opposition flag - the syrian opposition flag being raised at the syrian embassy in moscow. do we have any idea where assad and his family are at the moment? hat family are at the moment? not at the moment. _ family are at the moment? not at the moment. all— family are at the moment? iirrt at the moment. all we have to go on as of now is this statement that was read out on russian state television last night and put out by a couple of russian state news agency is quoting a kremlin source as saying that assad and his family had arrived in moscow, had been granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. where exactly they are we don't know

and what their plans are we don't know. there is due to be the daily conference call given by president putin's spokesman this morning so perhaps we will find out more details then. find find out more details then. and it's worth bearing in mind that russia has military bases in syria. russia has military bases in s ria. �* , , , russia has military bases in syria. absolutely. this is a key concern _ syria. absolutely. this is a key concern now _ syria. absolutely. this is a key concern now for - syria. absolutely. this is a key concern now for the i key concern now for the russians. there are two main bases the russians have, one is an air base and the other is a naval base. it's these bases that gave russia its foothold in the eastern mediterranean. these were russia's prize, if you like, from bashar al—assad for russia's military assistance in keeping him in power. they are a key staging post, a key hub for russia's sending in military contractors for example to africa, sending supplies to africa as well. so if russia loses those, that

will be a blow. it's not clear at the moment what the fate of those bases will be but we do know, again from the statement that was read out on russian state television yesterday, that russian officials have made contact with the armed syrian opposition, that was the phrase used. the question of the bases was mentioned in that statement. i think it's likely that already conversations are going on about what will happen to those two key russian bases. steve rosenberg live in moscow, thank you. you can read more from steve on the bbc news website and app. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

let's return to the syrian capital of damascus. we can show you live pictures from damascus where it is coming up

to 12.15 pm. people are back on the streets trying to digest the streets trying to digest the news that the assad regime is no more. we have heard that beeping of car horns and people are taking selfies. they are sending those to people outside the country. there are a large number of syrians who fled from damascus and elsewhere in the country because of the assad regime. live to the syrian capital, damascus, and our middle east correspondent lina sinjab, who is herself syrian. she had to leave 11 years ago and continued to report on syria and the region from beirut but she's now been back forjust over 2a hours. can you give us a sense of the mood in the country 2a hours after the fall of the assad regime? i after the fall of the assad re . ime? ~ after the fall of the assad regime?— after the fall of the assad re . ime? ~ . , regime? i think we have seen and witnessed _ regime? i think we have seen and witnessed a _

regime? i think we have seen and witnessed a surge - regime? i think we have seen and witnessed a surge of - regime? i think we have seen and witnessed a surge of joy. and witnessed a surge ofjoy and witnessed a surge ofjoy and happiness among many syrians yesterday. we have seen it for ourselves here in the main square, we have spoken to people, and also if we watch the news across the country and outside the country, it's a really unprecedented moment for syrians, something they have been dreaming of for years, but it has taken 13 years to achieve. it's really something unbelievable for them, after 5a years of the assad dynasty there is no more assad in power. there is hope for a better future, power. there is hope for a betterfuture, despite power. there is hope for a better future, despite concerns over how the islamist rebels are going to lead, if there will be immediate stability and safety. but people are still seizing the moment to enjoy this great victory as they see it. ~ this great victory as they see it. . ., , this great victory as they see it. ~ ., , , , it. we have seen yesterday --eole it. we have seen yesterday peeple being _ it. we have seen yesterday people being released - it. we have seen yesterday| people being released from it. we have seen yesterday -

people being released from the prisons who had been held for a very long time under that assad regime. but there are reports today that there are still people in those underground cells. what do we know about that? , ,., ., ., that? imprisonment and torture of --eole that? imprisonment and torture of people inside _ that? imprisonment and torture of people inside prison, - that? imprisonment and torture of people inside prison, even i of people inside prison, even to death, has been one of the assad tactics, assad the father and the sun. there are plenty of prisons across the country and in damascus, many detention centres have layers underground. the most notorious is saydnaya, outside the city to the south. it lies on a hilltop and many people know for a fact there are many hidden prisons there, many prisons built underground, for layers and layers. people broke into prisons yesterday with the rebels, thousands of families are there and are still there waiting to find their loved

ones. human rights activists say more than 100,000 syrians have been forcibly disappeared since the uprising began in 2011 so the search is still ongoing. the rescue group white helmets isjoining ongoing. the rescue group white helmets is joining forces ongoing. the rescue group white helmets isjoining forces in professional searching for prisoners inside saydnaya. they have maps of the present based on witnesses, former prisoners. the search is still ongoing. the search is still ongoing. the big question now is what happens next. the rebel group that has seized power saying it will work to transfer power to a transitional government. do you have any idea how that would work? 50 you have any idea how that would work?— you have any idea how that would work? ., ., ., would work? so far what we have seen was really _ would work? so far what we have seen was really incredible - would work? so far what we have seen was really incredible in - seen was really incredible in the smooth handover of power. for years many people people thought that toppling the assad regime would bring a bloody

battle to damascus and it would be a messy turnover. but what we have seen it it was a smooth and peaceful handover of power. of and peaceful handover of power. of course bashar al—assad fleeing the country. the prime minister came out to say he would be caretaker until a new government is in power and the public institutions would need to be protected. government employees should remain until a new government is formed. that was backed by the leader of the opposition, jawlani, who said it was important to work with the current government until