How a lightning assault by Syrian rebels toppled Assad’s regime in less than two weeks

Distracted by wars elsewhere, president Bashar al-Assad’s military allies Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah failed to mobilise the kind of decisive firepower that had propped him up for years

Half a century of the Assad family ruling Syria have collapsed in less than two weeks, in a seismic moment for the Middle East.

Opposition forces swept across the country and entered Damascus with little or no resistance as the Syrian army melted away. President Bashar Assad, Syria's ruler for 24 years — succeeding his father, Hafez Assad — fled the country. Anti-government protests in 2011 met with a brutal crackdown, escalating into a civil war that has killed more than half a million people and displaced half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million. Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, gradually regained control of more than two-thirds of Syria, leaving the rebels with one stronghold in the northwest of the country.

Here’s a run-down of how the advance by insurgents unfolded:

27 November: Rebels launch a surprise offensive

Armed opposition groups launch a large-scale attack on areas controlled by government forces in northwestern Syria and claim to have wrested control of at least 15 villages from government forces in northwestern Aleppo province. The government and its allies respond with airstrikes and shelling in an attempt to halt the insurgent advances.

The offensive is led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and known as the Jabhat al-Nusra or the Nusra front, HTS later distanced itself from al-Qaeda, seeking to market itself as a more moderate group. It is classed as a terrorist group by the United Nations, the UK and the US

The attack on Aleppo follows weeks of simmering low-level violence, including government attacks on opposition-held areas. Turkey, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, says the insurgents began a limited offensive to stop the attacks, but it expanded as government forces began to retreat.

28 November: Expansion into Idlib

The offensive expands to reach the countryside of Idlib province, with reports Assad’s troops are retreating.

29 November: The city of Aleppo

The insurgents sweep into the city of Aleppo, for the first time since they were pushed out in 2016. That involved a gruelling military campaign by Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran. This time, they meet with little resistance.

30 November

The rebels say they control Aleppo, raising a flag over the city's citadel and occupying the international airport.

1 December: No help for Assad

The Syrian military launches a counterattack with troops and airstrikes on Idlib and Aleppo. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Damascus, telling Assad that Tehran will support the counteroffensive.

But Assad receives little, if any, help from his allies. Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular airstrikes. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a 13-month conflict with Israel.

2 December to 4 December: The insurgents push on

The insurgents push south, advancing to within 10 miles (six kilometres) of Hama, the country's fourth-largest city and a key crossroads in central Syria, about 125 miles north of Damascus. State media reports fierce fighting in the province, and both state media and a U.K.-based observer group say government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have recaptured some territory.

5 December: The fall of Hama

After several days of fighting the rebels sweep into Hama. Dozens of jubilant fighters are seen firing into the air in celebration in Assi Square, the site of massive anti-government protests in the early days of the uprising in 2011. The Syrian army rereats outside the city

6 December: The capture of Homs

Rapidly advancing now, the rebels seize two towns on the outskirts of Homs, Syria's third-largest city. About 25 miles, south of Hama, Homs is the gateway to Damascus and the location of one of Syria's two state-owned oil refineries. Capturing it would cut the link between Damascus, Assad's seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support.

The government denies reports that its military has withdrawn from the city.

7-8 December: The fall of Damascus

Syrian rebels close in on the capital – and Assad’s seat of power – on Saturday and controlled the city unopposed by early Sunday, with Assad fleeing to Russia.

Syrian state television airs a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all prisoners have been set free. HTS commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani visits the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and calls Assad's fall a victory for "the Islamic nation."

9 December

Damascus stirs back to life. Heavy traffic returns to the streets, but most shops remained shut. Rebels mill about in the centre.

Al-Golani, met overnight with Assad's Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss arrangements for a transitional government, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Al Jazeera television reports that the transitional authority would be headed by Mohamed Al-Bashir, who ran the administration in a small pocket of rebel-held territory before the 12-day lightning offensive that swept into Damascus.

Associated Press contributed to this report