Rebels in Syria have made rapid advances and have reached the outskirts of Damascus, and the fall of the city looks like a possibility. The opposition forces moved at a rapid speed after seizing several cities in the war-torn country, including the largest city Aleppo. As per the latest reports, insurgents linked to the Jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have reached the outskirts of Damascus, ready to launch their final assault on the capital city.
The rebels have said they have begun their “final phase” of encircling the capital, and will launch an invasion soon. They have already captured the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya, ready to enter central Damascus.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 7, 2024
The rebels have reached Damascus pic.twitter.com/yWzWHuCQVU
The rebels trying to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad government have already taken control of several provinces including Hama, Homs, and Daraa. They also claimed to have captured a major military base.
An insurgent commander posted on Telegram that have started carrying out the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. The rebel alliance is fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops from the northern and southernmost parts of the country, surrounding Damascus.
The rebels have faced little resistance, as the Syrian armed forced have retreated from places like Palmyra, Hassaka, Deir Ez Zor etc. In some places, the military have even switched sides and joins the invading rebels. After the fall of Aleppo, Syrian forces have crumbled across the country, and the opposition forces have captured several major cities and provinces.
While Syrian military denied that it had withdrawn from the outskirts of Damascus, it admitted that forces were withdrawn from other places. The military said that its forces in the southwestern cities of Daraa and Sweida were “redeployed” to new positions.
Apart from Aleppo in the north, the rebels have seized Hama in the centre and Deir al-Zor in the east, Quneitra and Suweida in South, among other places.
Notably, Assad regime is facing multi-faced assault, as different groups are heading towards Damascus from different sides. The Free Syrian Army is moving from South, and is just on the outskirts of the city. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is advancing from the north, where they have captured Homs. Similarly, local militia groups have launched an offensive from south.
After capturing cities, the rebels have freed people from jails on a mass scale. Large number of people jailed for their opposition to the govt are being released from the prisons.
HISTORIC: Hafez al-Assad statue toppled in Jaramana, just kilometers from Damascus. pic.twitter.com/P1zqNsetDW
— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 7, 2024
In a highly symbolic move, the rebels took down a statue of Hafez al-Assad, father of current president Bashar al-Assad, in the city of Jaramana, just 4 km from Damascus. Hafez al-Assad was responsible for the massacre of over 40,000 Syrians in Hama in 1982.
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad remains in Damascus amid the mounting assault on his regime. The govt denied reports that he has left the city, asserting that he is continuing to perform his duties from his office in Damascus.
