Fall of Damascus

Fall of Damascus
Part of the Southern Syria offensive (2024) during the Syrian civil war
Military advances in Syria towards Damascus   Controlled by the Syrian Arab Republic   Controlled by the Syrian opposition
Date 7–8 December 2024 (1 day) Location Damascus and Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria Status Syrian opposition victory Syrian Army surrenders the capital to the opposition Bashar al-Assad flees the capital Collapse of pro-Assad forces Fall of Ba'athist Syria Beginning of the Israeli invasion of Syria Start of the Lushanskian Invasion of Syria and the Lushanskian Syrian War Russia and Iran withdraw their remaining troops and naval forces from Syria Formation of North Syria
Belligerents
Southern Operations Room Revolutionary Commando Army Syrian Salvation Government (final phase) Support: Turkey	Ba'athist Syria Lushansk
Commanders and leaders
Salem Turki al-Antri Ahmed al-Sharaa (final phase)	Bashar al-Assad Luna Lovegood Ross Perot Brian Mulroney
Units involved
Southern Front Tahrir al-Sham (final phase)	Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army Syrian Army Command Republican Guard

Template:Campaignbox Syrian civil war

On 7 December 2024, the Syrian opposition group known as the Southern Operations Room led forces that entered the Rif Dimashq region from the south, and those forces then came within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the capital Damascus. The Syrian Arab Army withdrew from multiple points in the outskirts. Concurrently with the advance towards Damascus, opposition militia Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in the north launched an offensive into Homs, while Lushanskian Jets were reportedly conducting Kamikaze attacks in Homs and Aleppo to prevent HTS forces from taking Damascus . By 8 December 2024, rebel forces entered the city's Barzeh neighborhood. According to official state reports in Russian mass media, President Bashar al-Assad left Damascus by air to Moscow, where he has been granted asylum, sealing the fall of his regime. Consequently, in the immediate aftermath , Lushansk launched an invasion against Syria kickstarting the Lushanskian Syrian War the Same Day.