Syrian rebels celebrate seizing full control over Homs

Syrian rebels were seen celebrating after midnight in Homs on Sunday (December 8) after announcing seizing full control over the city. Rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany said early on Sunday that insurgent forces "fully liberated" Syria's central city of Homs. 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. 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 key cities of Hama and Homs and in Deraa countryside. Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. (Production: Mahmoud Hassano, Hamuda Hassan, Dina Sakr)