Syrian rebels said on Sunday that they have ended Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule, in their first announcement on state television following a lightning offensive that took the world by surprise, APA reports.
Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad's regime had ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.
But the Syrian army later said it was continuing operations against "terrorist groups" in the towns of Hama and Homs and Deraa countryside.