The overthrow followed a 13-year civil war, which started after Assad crushed pro-democracy protests, killing more than half a million people and displacing millions more, and embroiled international powers and their proxies.

The fall of the Assad government in Syria took almost everybody by surprise and has created uncertainty for competing foreign interests that had established lines of control most assumed were frozen in the region.

In Syria, the rebels who seized power have appointed a transitional government with a temporary prime minister. On Monday, crowds gathered as some Syrians continued to celebrate the takeover. Elizabeth Palmer has more on what happens next.

Assad's fall from power marks the end of 50 years of brutal rule by his family. His father, Hafez al-Assad, a longtime military officer, was known for his iron fist. Joshua Landis is the head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma,