Syrian rebel forces in Damascus have declared the capital city "free" of Bashar al-Assad after nearly 25 years of rule, as the former ruler is said to have left by plane for an unknown destination.
The initial offensive to defeat Assad’s regime was led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – which was set up in 2012 under a different name, al-Nusra Front, and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the following year.
HTS publicly broke ranks with al-Qaeda in 2016, but is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, US, Turkey and other countries.
The US has named the group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, as a specially designated global terrorist and offered a $10m reward for information that leads to his capture.
Jawlani told CNN on Friday that "the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime" and that he planned to create a government based on institutions and a "council chosen by the people".
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