Civil war in Syria
Rebels advance on Homs – shots in Damascus?
December 6th, 2024 – 4:30 p.mReading time: 4 minutes
The Islamist rebels in Syria are probably only a few kilometers from Homs. Reports also indicate the first fighting in the capital Damascus.
The Islamist fighters in Syria are apparently continuing to advance rapidly in the country. After taking over the major cities of Aleppo and Hama in the northwest of the country, the Hajat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies are now only five kilometers from the city of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani reiterated the goal of overthrowing ruler Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian sources also report the first fighting in the capital Damascus. There were reportedly gunshots near Assad’s presidential palace and explosions at the Defense Ministry. Smoke is also said to be rising from the state television building. Meanwhile, the Kurdish armed forces are also using the chaos to gain further ground.
video | Syria: Here the rebels are advancing in Hama
Homs is the third largest city in the country after Damascus and Aleppo. On the way to Homs, the HTS and its allies entered the cities of Rastan and Talbisseh, the Observatory said. There was a “complete absence” of Assad government troops in these two cities.
According to the Observatory, government troops have also withdrawn from Homs. However, militias loyal to the regime are still stationed in Syria’s third largest city. Syrian military circles rejected reports of a troop withdrawal. The Syrian armed forces remain present in Homs and the surrounding area. The military had previously denied similar reports as the rebel offensive reached the city of Hama. Military bloggers report that the rebels have also captured the town of Salamiyah, west of Homs.
If the Islamists also take Homs, this would cut off the connection between the southern capital Damascus and the Mediterranean coast. There are numerous strongholds of the Assad family on the coast.
On Friday, according to the Observatory, the army also withdrew from the city of Deir Essor in the east of the country. The “regime forces” together with leaders of allied pro-Iranian groups “suddenly” withdrew from Deir Essor and its surrounding area, and entire convoys with soldiers were moving towards central Syria, the head of the observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told the AFP news agency.
For its part, the Syrian Defense Ministry said it had fired on “vehicles and gatherings” of “terrorists” in Hama province. Artillery, rockets and Syrian and Russian fighter jets were used, it said.
In view of the Islamists’ advance, the Kurdish forces ruling parts of northern Syria expressed their willingness to hold talks. The offensive points to a “new political and military reality,” Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) leader Maslum Abdi told reporters. The SDF wanted to solve its “problems” with the HTS and Turkey, which is close to it, “through dialogue”.
According to the UN, the recent fighting has forced 280,000 people to flee their homes. As the head of emergency coordination for the World Food Program (WFP), Samer Abdel Jaber, explained, this number could rise to 1.5 million. According to the Observatory for Human Rights, Alawite Syrians left their neighborhoods in Homs “en masse” out of fear of the Islamists.
HTS leader al-Julani reiterated his group’s goal of overthrowing Assad in an interview with US broadcaster CNN. “If we talk about goals, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime. It is our right to use all available means to achieve this goal,” al-Julani said.
