The regime of President Assad of Syria appeared to fall on Sunday morning after rebel groups entered Damascus and claimed the ruler had fled the country. READ MORE: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/syria-homs-assad-rebels-9l5t88cdf Thousands of people gathered at a main square in the capital as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction announced that the city was “free of Assad” and declared the “start of a new era”. In a broadcast on state TV, the rebels announced “the fall of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad” and the release of the regime’s prisoners. Their statement also called on citizens to safeguard the “property of the free Syrian state”. The prime minister, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, said in a video message he remained at his home and was prepared to co-operate with the transfer of power to “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people”. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of HTS, said official institutions in Damascus would remain under the control of the prime minister until they were handed over. Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/ Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=timesonlinevideo Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timesandsundaytimes/ Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetimes Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetimes/ #syria #damascus