President Bashar al-Assad’s long and brutal reign in Syria has ended. After 13 years of civil war, Syria’s rebel fighters have stormed the capital, Damascus, and claimed victory.

The government’s forces fled without significant resistance as rebel fighters poured into the city. Assad resigned and left Syria, Russia said, but his location could not be confirmed. The rebels appear to have taken over the state television, and they announced Syria to be “free of the tyrant.”

The country’s prime minister, who remains in Damascus, said he would work on a transition government. The rebels called on their forces to stay away from public institutions until they could be formally handed over.

The rebels said they are now continuing their advance into the east. Below, we explain what has happened and what may come next.

What we know

The rebels’ rapid advance over the past two weeks was a dramatic end to a yearslong stalemate. (Read The Morning’s explanation of the war.)