By Lex Harvey, Lucas Lilieholm, Manveena Suri and Adam Renton, CNN, Dec.9: Strikes were heard in Damascus early Monday, according to a CNN team in the Syrian capital, after President Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia in the face of an astonishingly swift rebel offensive. It was not immediately clear who carried out the strikes.
The toppling of the Assad regime following more than 50 years of brutal dictatorship was a “victory for the entire Islamic nation,” said Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the main rebel group, HTS, which was formed out of an al Qaeda affiliate.
Assad’s removal was met with jubilation by Syrians at home and abroad. In Damascus, rebels and civilians ransacked the former dictator’s palaces, with videos revealing Assad’s luxurious lifestyle and large car collection, including a Ferrari F50.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the fall of the Assad regime. As the White House focuses on next steps in Syria, the US military said it struck more than 75 ISIS targets in the country to prevent the terrorist group from taking advantage of the situation there.