Jihadists enter Damascus: Live Updates

President Bashar Assad’s office has supposedly left the capital, and Syrian army has withdrawn from its positions in the city

Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and other anti-government militias have entered Damascus on Saturday, taking control over the Syrian capital. Flight data websites show that President Bashar Assad's plane has left the city. Syrian PM Mohammad al-Jalali has already offered cooperation “with any leadership chosen by the people”, also claiming he remains in his home.

HTS, a group led by a former Al-Qaeda commander and previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, launched a surprise offensive from the opposition-held province of Idlib in northern Syria just last week. Jihadists have already driven the Syrian Army from the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Al-Qusayr at the border with Lebanon.

Other opposition and militant groups operating in Syria also seized several parts of the country. US-sponsored Free Syrian Army (FSA) has taken control of the ancient site of Palmyra, while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also backed by US have seized Deir ez-Zor.