The nearly quarter-century rule of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad came to a stunning end, when he fled the country by plane for an unknown destination as rebel troops stormed into the capital city of Damascus with little resistance, reports said on Dec. 7. Thousands of people rushed to the city’s main square waving and chanting “freedom” as rebels breached the city gates on Dec. 8, local time, and Assad’s army fled from the streets, witnesses said.