Rebels in Syria declare Damascus "free," claiming Assad has left the capital.

According to a source with knowledge of the advance, Syria's rebel forces have "liberated" Damascus, and agents are occupying strategic locations in the capital, CNN reports.Following a lightning-fast onslaught by the rebel alliance, the source declared, "Militarily, Damascus has fallen."Iranian officials and Syria's presidential office have previously insisted that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has not left the capital, despite the rebels' claims that he has left. His dictatorship may soon topple, US sources warned CNN. Senior Assad government officials who are thinking about defecting are contacted by the rebels, they said.