The Syrian civil war that began in 2011 took a drastic turn on Sunday as rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime and overran Damascus.

The events surprised everyone, Assad’s allies and enemies alike, when Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) declared the country free.

So what exactly is happening in Syria? Here the crisis is explained in 10 points.

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The Syrian Crisis Explained

1. The Syrian Civil War began in 2011 as an offshoot of the Arab Spring, which led to the overthrow of various regimes across the Arab world. While Bashar al-Assad initially looked uncertain, the tide turned when Russia and Iran came to his aid to repel the rebels.

2. The country has continued to suffer civil war since then, but has enjoyed a period of relative calm in recent years as the Syrian army and its allies managed to keep the rebels at bay.

3. The final stage of the civil war began when rebels HTS and the Free Syrian Army broke through last week and captured the city of Aleppo, their first major breakthrough in years.

4. The rebels began their march toward Damascus, taking city after city. Four cities fell to the rebels in the last 24 hours before they arrived in the capital early Sunday. These cities were Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs. With both Iran and Russia overstretched in other conflicts, the Syrian army seemed to simply melt away.

5. Rebel fighters took control of Saydnaya Prison on Sunday morning and released political prisoners held by the Bashar al-Assad regime.

6. The militants then entered the city and within hours took control of it and overthrew the regime that had been in power for five decades. Before Assad took power 24 years ago, his father Hafez Al Assad ruled the country with a similarly iron grip.

7. Prime Minister Mohammad Jalali said the government was ready to work with the opposition and hand over the government. He also urged people not to damage the public buildings as they belonged to everyone.

8. Assad had reportedly fled the country on an early morning flight as rebels entered the city. His whereabouts are still unknown.

9. Some reports also suggest that Assad’s plane was shot down over Jordan. There have been numerous speculations on the subject, but there has been no confirmation of it.

10. HTS declared Syria and Damascus free of “tyrant Assad” and called on fighters to preserve government buildings. The buildings were placed under the control of former Prime Minister Jalali before the official handover. Scenes in the streets suggested celebrations and some statues of Assad and his father were also razed by the public.