World reacts to Bashar al-Assad’s fall, capture of Syria’s Damascus

Residents of Qamishli in Syria use their mobile phones to capture a damaged picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as people celebrate the ousting of the president [Orhan Qereman/Reuters]

Syrian opposition fighters have declared that the country has been “liberated” after they stormed the capital and announced that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital city to an unknown destination.

Joyous celebrations erupted in Damascus and other parts of the country, including along the border with neighbouring Lebanon, with many displaced Syrians deciding to return home.