Jubilation, gunfire, mourning - on the streets of Damascus, Syrians are facing the reality of life after Assad | Danny Makki

As I spoke to locals, the mood was one of relief - but there are countless tales of loved ones who are not here to help celebrate

In the end, there was no great battle for Damascus, no gruelling siege of the kind we have become accustomed to in Syria's brutal 13-year civil war. It was just an army that melted away and a fleeing president that brought the more than 50-year-long Baathist dictatorship to an end.

As Syrians continue to gather to celebrate around Umayyad Square, a new dawn in the country has begun. Further challenges are to come, but for the time being, Syrians can breathe easier. I am a Damascus-based journalist who has been speaking to people on the ground in Syria's freed capital city as they grapple with their new reality.