What is happening in Syria: Explained in 10 points

The events took everyone, Assad’s allies and foes alike, by surprise as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) declared the country free.

The Syrian Civil War that started in 2011 took a drastic turn on Sunday as the rebels toppled the Bashar Al Assad regime and overran Damascus.

A man waves a Syrian opposition flag as people people celebrate at Masnaa Border Crossing, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Lebanon,(REUTERS)

The events took everyone, Assad’s allies and foes alike, by surprise as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) declared the country free.

So what exactly is happening in Syria? Here is the crisis explained in 10 points.

The Syrian crisis explained

1. The Syrian Civil War started in 2011 as an offshoot of the Arab Spring that saw various regimes in the Arab world being toppled. While Bashar Al Assad initially looked shaky, the tide turned when Russia and Iran came to his aid to repel the rebels.

2. The country remained plagued with civil war since then but experienced a period of relative calm in the last few years as the Syrian Army and its allies managed to keep the rebels at bay.

FILE - Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting in Moscow,(AP)

3. The latest leg of the civil war started when the rebels HTS and the Free Syrian Army broke through and captured the city of Aleppo last week, their first major breakthrough in years.

4. The rebels started their March to Damascus, capturing city after city. Four cities fell to the rebels in the last 24 hours before they arrived in the capital early on Sunday. These cities were Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs. With both Iran and Russia stretched in other conflicts, the Syrian army seemed to just melt away.

5. The rebel fighters took control of the Saydnaya prison on Sunday morning and released the political prisoners locked up by the Bashar Al Assad regime.

6. The fighters then entered the city and took control of it within hours, toppling the regime that has been in power for the last five decades. Before Assad took over 24 years ago, his father Hafez Al Assad ruled the country with a similar iron grip.

A person waves a Syrian opposition flag as people celebrate at Masnaa Border Crossing, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad,(REUTERS)

7. Prime Minister Mohammad Jalali said the government was ready to cooperate with the opposition and hand over the governance. He also asked the people to not harm the public buildings as they belonged to everyone.

8. Reports suggested that Assad had fled the country, taking an early morning flight as the rebels entered the city. His whereabouts are still unknown.

9. Some reports have also suggested that Assad's plane has been shot down over Jordan. Speculation was rife on the issue but there has been no confirmation about it.

10. HTS declared Syria and Damascus free of the ‘tyrant Assad' and asked the fighters to preserve the government buildings. The buildings have been placed under the former PM Jalali before the official handover. Scenes on the streets suggested celebrations and a few statues of Assad and his father have also been razed down by the public.