Assad ruled Syria with iron fist before defeat in civil war 

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

DAMASCUS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule of Syria ended abruptly in December 2024 following a lightning advance by rebel forces who struck while the Russian and Iranian allies who had backed him through years of civil war were distracted by conflicts elsewhere. He fled to Moscow, ending more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by his family and opening a new chapter for Syria.