What we covered here
• The Assad family has lost control of Syria after more than 50 years of brutal dictatorship. In the face of an astonishingly swift rebel offensive, President Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Moscow and were granted political asylum, an official source in Russia told CNN.
• The leader of the main rebel group, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, called the toppling of Assad a “victory for the entire Islamic nation” in his first public remarks in Damascus. The rebels — led by Jolani’s HTS group, which was formed out of an al Qaeda affiliate — have said minorities will be protected.
• US President Joe Biden welcomed the fall of the Assad regime. He described it as a “historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future,” but cautioned it was also a moment of risk and uncertainty in the region.
• As the White House focuses on next steps in Syria, US Central Command said the US military struck more than 75 ISIS targets in the country to prevent the terrorist group from taking advantage of the situation there.
