The reign of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has come to an end. Rebels stormed the Syrian capital and took control on Dec. 8, without any resistance from the government. After rebels swept into the capital Damascus, al-Assad fled leaving Syria a liberated country. Syria’s long-time ally, Russia, did not provide details on the whereabouts of al-Assad. 

Assad is the second generation of his family leaders in Syria. Assad is well-known for its brutal rule over Syria, which has been ravaged by a civil war that destroyed the country and allowed it to become the extremist group ISIS. He also initiated an international proxy war and refugee crisis that displaced millions from their homes.

The rebels, led by the Islamist alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian National Army, opposed his rule. The United States sees this group as a terrorist organization. The founder of HTS, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, participated in the Iraqi insurgency against the U.S.. It is now the most effective rebel section in Syria.