Syrian rebels have arrived damascus Multiple residents of the city reported that the defense forces in the capital collapsed and heavy gunfire was heard. Previously, rebels captured Homs and Aleppo, posing a threat to President Bashar Assad’s 24-year rule.
“Militarily, Damascus has fallen,” a source familiar with the rebels told CNN.
Recent advances by opposition factions, including a major push by a group with al-Qaida origins, are among the biggest in years.
The organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations, has made substantial progress in its efforts to overthrow the Assad government. The rebels have encountered minimal resistance from Syrian forces during their attacks.
“Assad has left Damascus”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane to leave Damascus on Sunday for an undisclosed location, according to two senior military officials.
However, just a day earlier, his office said President Bashar al-Assad was still carrying out his duties in Damascus and denied reports that he had fled as rebels closed in on the capital.
Hezbollah withdraws troops from Damascus suburb of Homs
According to sources close to Lebanese Hezbollah, Hezbollah has withdrawn its troops from the suburbs of Damascus and the Homs area.
Agence France-Presse quoted a source as saying that the group “in recent hours has directed its fighters to withdraw from the Homs region, with some heading to Latakia (Syria) and others to the Hemel region of Lebanon,” It noted that “Hezbollah militants also withdrew from positions around Damascus.”
Fierce gunfire in Damascus
Fierce gunfire rang out in central Damascus on Sunday as rebels advanced toward the Syrian capital, two residents living near the city said, Reuters reported.
The source of the shooting was unclear. at the same time, syrian rebels After only one day of fighting, it claimed complete control of the strategic city of Homs.
“Assad is gone, Homs is free”
Syrian rebels announced they had taken full control of the key city of Homs early Sunday after a day of fighting, further threatening President Bashar Assad’s 24-year rule as they advance toward the capital Damascus. .
As the troops retreated, thousands of Homs residents took to the streets to celebrate, chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria, down with Bashar al-Assad.”
Rebels fired into the air in victory while young men tore down posters of Syria’s president, marking a dramatic collapse of Assad’s week-long hold on territory.
“This is not our fight”
U.S. President-elect Trump said the United States has nothing to do with the conflict in Syria because Syria “is not a friend.”
“Syria is a mess, but it is not our friend and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it end. Don’t get involved!” Trump posted on his social media. social contact.
Trump said Russia was distracted by the war in Ukraine and “seems unable to stop this very real advance through Syria, the country they have protected for many years.” He said that if Russia was forced to withdraw from Syria, “it would Probably actually the best thing for them” because “Russia has never had much to gain in Syria”.
Doha diplomacy
The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Türkiye met in Qatar to call for an end to ongoing hostilities. Türkiye, the main backer of the rebels, took part in the discussions.
“Assad did not seize the opportunity to start engaging and restoring relations with the people,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s top diplomat, said, according to the Associated Press.
He expressed surprise at the rebels’ rapid advance and warned that Syria’s “territorial integrity” was under serious threat. He warned that if urgent action was not taken to start a political process, the war could “damage and destroy what is left of the country”.
