Syrian government appears to have fallen as 50-year rule of Assad family ends

A giant banner of Syrian President Bashar Assad hangs on the facade of a building, as pedestrian walk through an the empty streets of Damascus, Syria. Picture: Omar Sanadiki/AP

The Syrian government appeared to have fallen early on Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family after a lightning rebel offensive.

The head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said president Bashar Assad had left the country for an undisclosed location, fleeing ahead of insurgents who said they had entered Damascus after a stunning advance across the country.