Breaking: Jihadists claim to take over power in Syria --Islamists entered Damascus and declared it "free," asserting President Bashar Assad has fled the capital | 8 Dec 2024 | Jihadists and other anti-government militias have entered Damascus on Saturday, taking control over the Syrian capital. They declared the city to be “free” from President's Bashar Assad government and claimed he had left the capital. According to Reuters, Assad, who ruled the Middle East country for almost a quarter of a century, flew out of Damascus on Saturday evening "for an unknown destination," citing two senior army officers. Just hours earlier, jihadists announced they had gained full control of the key city of Homs after only a day of fighting.