Jubilation and gunfire as Syrians celebrate end of Assad’s rule

Syrians celebrate the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in the town of Bar Elias, Lebanon, near the border with Syria. Picture: Hassan Ammar/AP

Syrians have poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, putting an end to the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region.

Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war.