Syrian Kurds celebrate next to the destroyed statue of late President Hafez al-Assad, father of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, as they celebrate the fall of capital Damascus to anti-government fighters, in the city of Qamishli on December 8, 2024. Islamist-led rebels declared that they have taken Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP)