Jihadists and other anti-government militias entered Damascus on Saturday, taking control over the Syrian capital. They have declared the city “free” from President Bashar Assad’s government and claim that he has fled the capital.

According to Reuters, Assad, who ruled the Middle Eastern country for almost a quarter of a century, flew out of Damascus on Saturday evening “for an unknown destination,” citing two senior army officers. Hours earlier, the jihadists announced that they had gained full control over the key city of Homs after only a day of fighting.