Syria news: Government forces withdraw from city of Homs [Video]

BEIRUT, Lebanon –

The head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said early Sunday that Syria’s President Bashar Assad left the country for an undisclosed location.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took a flight from Damascus early Sunday.

Abdurrahman’s comments came shortly after Syrian insurgents said they had entered Damascus, capping a stunning advance across the country, as residents of the capital reported sounds of gunfire and explosions.

Footage broadcast on opposition-linked media showed a tank in one of the capital’s central squares while a small group of people gathered in celebration. Calls of “God is great” rang out from mosques.

It was the first time opposition forces had reached Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured areas on the outskirts of the capital following a yearslong siege.

There was no immediate statement from the Syrian government. The pro-government Sham FM radio reported …