A stunning march by rebel forces across Syria accelerated Saturday after news arrived at the capital's gates that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government has been forced to deny rumors that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country.
The loss of Homs could have been a fatal blow to Assad. It is located at a key crossroads between the capital Damascus and the Syrian coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, which are a support base for the Syrian leader and home to Russia's strategic naval bases.
The pro-government Sham FM news agency reported that government forces had taken up positions on the outskirts of Syria's third-largest city, without giving details. Rami Abdulrahman of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said members of the Syrian army and various security services had withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels had entered parts of the city.
Rebel forces announced late Saturday that they had taken control of Homs. The city's capture was a major victory for the rebels, who had already taken control of the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as much of the south, in a blitzkrieg that began on November 27. Analysts said it would be difficult for the rebels to take control of Homs. Game changer.
President Trump urges people to stay out of Syria's civil war, blames Obama for failure as Islamists close in on capital
Rebel movements around Damascus reported by monitors and rebel commanders come as Syrian forces withdraw from much of the country's south and more areas, including some provincial capitals, are occupied by rebel fighters. It happened after remaining under the control of.
For the first time in the country's long civil war, the government only controls three of its 14 regional capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus.
Last week's advance was one of the biggest in recent years by an insurgency led by a group with roots in al-Qaeda and considered a terrorist organization by the United States and United Nations. Rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Group (HTS), which aim to overthrow Assad, have met little resistance from the Syrian army.
The rapid growth of the rebel group, combined with the lack of support from Assad's former allies, poses the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war.
Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, called on Saturday for emergency talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition”. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria is changing rapidly. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia, Bashar al-Assad's main international backer, said: “I feel sorry for the Syrian people.”
In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands of people headed to the Syria-Lebanon border, attempting to leave the country.
Many shops in the capital have closed, residents told The Associated Press, and those that are still open are running out of essentials such as sugar. Some places were selling products at three times the normal price.
“The situation is very strange. We are not used to such situations,” said the resident, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“People are worried about whether there will be fighting (in Damascus).”
It is the first time rebels have reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when the Syrian army retook the area after years of siege. The United Nations said it was moving non-essential personnel out of the country as a precaution.
Syrian opposition fighters remove the Syrian government flag from a government building in Salamiya, eastern Hama, Syria, Saturday, December 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Al-Sayed)
Assad's position
Syrian state media said Assad was carrying out his duties in Damascus, denying social media rumors that he had left the country.
He receives little assistance from his allies. Russia is busy with the war in Ukraine. Lebanon's Hezbollah at one point sent thousands of fighters to strengthen Assad's forces, but has been weakened by a year-long conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region weakened by regular Israeli airstrikes.
US President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media on Saturday that the US should avoid military intervention in Syria. Separately, President Joe Biden's national security adviser said the Biden administration has no intention of intervening there.
Pedersen said the date for talks in Geneva on the implementation of the UN resolution adopted in 2015 calling for a Syrian-led political process will be announced at a later date. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution, and ending with UN-monitored elections.
Late Saturday, Pederson, along with foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight major countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, met on the sidelines of the Doha summit to discuss the situation in Syria.
In a statement, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis that “leads to the cessation of military activities and the protection of civilians.” The two leaders also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to scale up aid to the Syrian people.
rebel army march
Rami Abdurrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the rebel war, said rebels were staying in the Damascus suburbs of Mahdamiya, Jaramana and Daraya. He added that rebel fighters were marching towards Harasta, a suburb of Damascus.
Rebel commander Hassan Abdulghani posted on the messaging app Telegram that the rebels had surrounded Damascus and had begun the “final phase” of the offensive.
HTS controls much of northwest Syria, and in 2017 established a “relief government” to carry out day-to-day operations in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to revamp the group's image, pledging to sever ties with al-Qaeda, remove hardline officials, and embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. There is.
The offensive began on November 27, during which the armed group took control of Syria's largest northern city, Aleppo, and the central cities of Hama, the country's fourth largest city.
Anti-government activists said Saturday that militants had entered Palmyra the day before. Palmyra is home to valuable ruins that have been in government hands since it was captured from Islamic State in 2017.
Activists said Syrian troops had withdrawn from much of the southern province of Quneitra, including the main city of Baath.
The Syrian Observatory said government forces had withdrawn from most of the two southern provinces.
The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and redeployment in Suweida and Daraa after checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The military said it had set up a “strong and consistent defense and security zone in the area”, apparently to protect Damascus from the south.
Since the conflict broke out in March 2011, the Syrian government has called the rebels terrorists.
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doha diplomacy
The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey met in Qatar and called for an end to hostilities. Turkey is a major supporter of the rebels.
Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the recent stagnation in fighting to address the country's fundamental problems. “President Assad did not use this opportunity to start engaging with the people and repairing relations,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by the speed of the rebels' advance and said there was a real threat to Syria's “territorial integrity.” He said that “without a sense of urgency to start the political process, war could damage and destroy what is left.”
