Syrian insurgents stated early Sunday that they had entered Damascus, capping a surprising advance throughout the nation, as residents of the capital reported sounds of gunfire and explosions.
There was no instant official assertion from the Syrian authorities. The professional-government Sham FM radio reported that the Damascus airport was evacuated and all flights halted.
The insurgents additionally introduced that they had entered the infamous Saydnaya army jail north of the capital and “liberated our prisoners” there.
The night time earlier than, opposition forces had taken the central metropolis of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as authorities forces deserted it. The federal government denied rumours that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the nation.
Extra to come back
This can be a breaking replace. A earlier model of this story could be seen beneath.
The most recent:
- 1000’s rush to Syria’s border with Lebanon.
- Rebels say they’re in ‘last stage’ of encircling Damascus.
- UN envoy to Syria requires ‘orderly political transition.’
- Officers from Iran, Russia and Turkey meet in Qatar.
Insurgents’ beautiful march throughout Syria accelerated on Saturday with information that that they had reached the gates of the capital and that authorities forces had deserted the central metropolis of Homs. The federal government was pressured to disclaim rumours that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the nation.
The lack of Homs is a probably crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an vital intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian chief’s base of help and residential to a Russian strategic naval base.
The professional-government Sham FM reported that authorities forces took positions outdoors Syria’s third-largest metropolis, with out elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated Syrian troops and members of various safety businesses have withdrawn from the town, including that rebels have entered components of it.
The seize of Homs is a significant victory for insurgents, who’ve already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, in addition to giant components of the south, in a lightning offensive that started Nov. 27. Analysts stated Homs falling into insurgent palms can be a game-changer.
For the primary time within the nation’s long-running civil warfare, the federal government now has management of solely three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus.
The advances previously week had been among the many largest in recent times by opposition factions, led by a gaggle that has its origins in al-Qaeda and is taken into account a terrorist group by america and the United Nations. As they’ve superior, the insurgents — led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS — have met little resistance from the Syrian military.
The fast insurgent positive aspects, coupled with the shortage of help from Assad’s erstwhile allies, posed probably the most severe menace to his rule because the begin of the warfare.
The UN’s particular envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday referred to as for pressing talks in Geneva to make sure an “orderly political transition.” Talking to reporters on the annual Doha Discussion board in Qatar, he stated the state of affairs in Syria was altering by the minute.
Rebels on the gates of Damascus
The rebels’ strikes round Damascus, reported by an opposition warfare monitor and a insurgent commander, got here after the Syrian military withdrew from a lot of the southern a part of the nation — leaving extra areas, together with two provincial capitals, underneath the management of opposition fighters.
In Damascus, individuals rushed to replenish on provides. 1000’s rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, attempting to go away the nation.
Syrian rebels pressed their advance on the capital metropolis of Damascus on Saturday, saying that they had seized a lot of the nation’s south.
Many outlets within the capital had been shuttered, a resident instructed The Related Press, and people who remained open ran out of staples comparable to sugar. Some outlets had been promoting gadgets at thrice the conventional value.
“The state of affairs may be very unusual. We’re not used to that,” the resident stated, insisting on anonymity, fearing retribution.
“Individuals are anxious whether or not there can be a battle [in Damascus] or not.”
It was the primary time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the world following a years-long siege.
Assad has not fled, state media report
Syria’s state media denied rumours flooding social media that Assad has left the nation, saying he’s performing his duties in Damascus.
He has had little, if any, assist from his allies. Russia is busy with its warfare in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one level despatched 1000’s of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a year-long battle with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies throughout the area degraded by common Israeli airstrikes.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the U.S. ought to keep away from partaking militarily in Syria.
Pedersen stated a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of UN Decision 2254 can be introduced later. The decision, adopted in 2015, referred to as for a Syrian-led political course of, beginning with the institution of a transitional governing physique, adopted by the drafting of a brand new structure and ending with UN-supervised elections.
Later Saturday, international ministers and senior diplomats from eight key international locations — together with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran — together with Pedersen, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha summit to debate the state of affairs in Syria.
In a press release issued late Saturday, the individuals affirmed their help for a political resolution to the Syrian disaster “that will result in the tip of army exercise and shield civilians.” In addition they agreed on the significance of strengthening worldwide efforts to extend assist to the Syrian individuals.
The insurgents’ march
Abdurrahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated insurgents had been within the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters had been additionally marching from jap Syria towards the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he stated.
A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging service that opposition forces had begun the “last stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus.
HTS controls a lot of northwest Syria, and in 2017 it arrange a “salvation authorities” to run day-to-day affairs within the area. In recent times, HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s picture, slicing ties with al-Qaeda, ditching hard-line officers and vowing to embrace pluralism and spiritual tolerance.
The civil warfare in Syria has reignited after years of mendacity dormant, with a coalition of opposition forces swiftly taking management of quite a lot of main cities. CBC’s Chris Brown breaks down how the state of affairs unravelled and the important thing gamers combating for management.
The shock offensive started Nov. 27, throughout which gunmen captured the northern metropolis of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central metropolis of Hama, the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis.
Opposition activists stated on Saturday {that a} day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is house to invaluable archeological websites that had been in authorities palms since being taken from the Islamic militant group ISIS in 2017.
To the south, Syrian troops left a lot of the province of Quneitra, together with the principle Baath Metropolis, activists stated.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated authorities troops have withdrawn from a lot of the 2 southern provinces.
The Syrian military stated in a press release on Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints got here underneath assault by “terrorists.” The military stated it’s organising a “robust and coherent defensive and safety belt within the space,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south.
The Syrian authorities has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists because the battle broke out in March 2011.
Source link
