[18] In Southern Syria, the opposition consisted mostly of demobilised fighters who had undergone reconciliation through previous cease-fire agreements and subsequently conducted local insurrections as Government forces withdrew in early December.

[citation needed] Between the end of the ceasefire and the start of the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, autocratic HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa sought peace deals with the other rebel coalitions, and hunted down Hurras al-Din and Islamic State fighters in rebel-held areas.

[19] Jolani also built institutions to digitize the rebel-held area, such as improving tax collecting, street cleaning, and food distrubution, while preaching a message of unity to Christians and Shi'as.

[20][21] In contrast, the Syrian state led by Assad put more money into funding the captagon industry, effectively running a drug cartel.

[25] After the fall of Hama on 5 December, the government began redeploying its troops from Eastern Ghouta, including Douma and Harasta, to the entrances and exits of Damascus.

[27] However, witnesses stated that efforts to organize a proper defense quickly derailed as most officers and soldiers refused to continue resistance or outright fled.

[30] On the same day, rebels south of Damascus announced the "Southern Operations Room" (SOR), exploiting the widespread retreat and collapse of loyalist troops in the region.

[35] In the Rif Dimashq region, pro-government forces withdrew from the towns of Assal al-Ward, Yabroud, Flitah, Al-Naseriyah and Artouz, while rebels came within 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of Damascus.

[37] By the evening, pro-government forces had left the towns on the outskirts of Damascus, including Jaramana, Qatana, Muadamiyat al-Sham, Darayya, Al-Kiswah, Al-Dumayr, Daraa and sites near the Mezzeh Air Base.

[42] As the Southern Operations Room advanced in the suburbs of Damascus,[43] the Syrian Free Army was reported closing in on the capital from the north, after taking control of Palmyra, as well as Darayya.

[13] The Republican Guard, traditionally tasked with protecting the Syrian government, did not organize any defenses of Damascus and offered no resistance to the rebel advances.

[45] Even as the situation in Damascus deteriorated, Assad reportedly pretended to work as usual, though he made no effort to organize a last stand or publicly inspire confidence among his loyalists.

At 10:30 pm, the president received a phone call by his Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali who informed him that the government's situation had further declined, with large numbers of refugees fleeing from Homs toward Latakia.

[25] In truth, Assad left for an airport, secretly boarded an airplane which then flew under the radar with the aircraft's transponder switched off to Khmeimim Air Base from where he fled to Russia.

[25][7] The Telegram account of the Syrian presidency would later publish a statement attributed to Assad, saying that he had gone to a Russian military base in Latakia Governorate "to oversee combat operations" following the fall of Damascus, but was evacuated out of the country by Russia after coming under siege from rebel forces, adding that he had no intention of resigning or going into exile.

[52] The capture of Homs that same morning by Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian National Army effectively cut Damascus off from al-Assad's coastal strongholds of Tartus and Latakia.

The Syrian Army Command put two contradictory statements out: one of admission of defeat and a second to continue its fight against "terrorist groups", specifically in Homs, Hama and Daraa.

[55] In the wake of the rebel capture of Damascus, several places in the capital were ransacked, including Iran's embassy, Assad's estates, and government offices; the Central Bank of Syria was besieged[56] and the reception hall of the Presidential Palace was set on fire.