- President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria has fallen, after a sudden offensive by Islamist rebel groups
- It was led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), alongside allied rebel factions, and brought an end to the Assad family's 50-year rule
- The offensive started just 12 days ago, with two major cities falling to the rebels over the weekend
- Homs, Syria's third largest city, was taken on Saturday after just one day of fighting
- On Sunday, HTS-led rebels announced they had entered the capital Damascus, releasing prisoners from the notorious military prison Saydnaya
- Former president Bashar al-Assad - who had long vowed to "crush" the rebels with the help of his allies, has fled to Russia, with state media there reporting he has been granted sylum
