Rebel forces 'reach Damascus suburbs' as protesters topple statue on outskirts

7 December 2024, 13:05 | Updated: 8 December 2024, 03:10

Syrian rebels have reportedly taken the key city of Homs and reached the suburbs of the capital Damascus as their lightning offensive threatens to end Bashar al Assad's 24-year rule.

Protesters on Saturday brought down a statue of the president's late father in a main square in a suburb a few miles from the centre of the capital.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents are now active in three Damascus suburbs, including Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya - making it the first time they have reached the outskirts of the city since 2018, when government forces recaptured the area after a years-long siege.

Meanwhile, Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul-Ghani said insurgent forces had now "fully liberated" Syria's central city of Homs - in a strategically important move the cuts off Damascus from coastal military bases.

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The rebels were also reported to be marching from the east of the war-torn country towards Damascus's suburb of Harasta, in a shock offensive which began last week with the capture of Aleppo, in the north and the country's second biggest city, and Hama, in central Syria.

They have also claimed Deir el Zor in the east, Suweida, Quneitra and Deraa in the south.

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Earier on Saturday evening, Mr Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have started the "final stage" of their offensive - by encircling Damascus.

Later, thousands of Homs residents poured on to the streets after the army withdrew, dancing and chanting "Assad is gone, Homs is free" and "Long live Syria and down with Bashar al Assad".

Mr Assad's office claimed he was still in the capital, with officials hitting out at "false news" about the president having left the country.

Government forces - long propped up by Russia and Iran - have crumbled across the country, with insurgents seizing a number of major cities.

The Syrian army said in a statement Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Suweida and Deraa, both in the country's deep south, after its checkpoints came under attack by "terrorists".

The opposition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) is led by a group that has its origins in al Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations.

Soldiers in some Damascus suburbs changed into civilian clothes and deserted their posts, residents claimed, as rebel forces have called on those loyal to Mr Assad to defect.

According to the mayor of Iraqi border town of al Qaim, around 2,000 Syrian troops crossed into Iraq seeking refuge, with some wounded and receiving treatment.

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Meanwhile, the insurgents have seized almost the entire southwest within 24 hours, claiming they have taken Sanamayn on the main road from Damascus to Jordan.

Dr Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Chatham House, told Sky News rebel forces are "fast approaching" Damascus from the north and south.

"And there is no sign that Russia is about to intervene and save the Assad regime," he added. "Iran appears to have abandoned the regime too, which is an astonishing turnaround."

Some Western officials told Reuters news agency the regime could be gone in as little as five days, but could last as long as 10.

The speed at which the military has collapsed has raised concerns that the collapsing regime could commit atrocities, with the UK warning the Syrian government against using chemical weapons to fend off the rebels.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said snipers were being positioned on top of buildings in Damascus.

The UN envoy for Syria said on Saturday the need for an orderly political transition in the country has never been more urgent.

HTS said shortly afterwards it has a duty to protect governmental, international and UN offices in Syria.

Mr Assad, who has been ruling the Middle Eastern country for decades, has relied on its allies Russia and Iran to help fend off insurgencies.

With Russia focusing on Ukraine, Iran tied up with Israel's war on Gaza and bombardment of its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syria's army has been left exposed.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran - Assad's main backers - and the main rebels' ally Turkey met on Saturday and agreed on the importance of Syria's territorial integrity and on restarting a political process, they said.

But it appears they are yet to agree on any concrete steps, while president-elect Donald Trump said the US shouldn't be involved in the conflict.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the three countries want an end to the fighting, adding it is "inadmissible" for "terrorist groups" to take control of Syrian lands.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias are on high alert, many of them have amassed near the border - but no order has been given to cross, according to two of their commanders.

Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 as an uprising against Mr Assad's rule, has dragged in big outside powers and forced millions to seek refuge in neighbouring states.

(c) Sky News 2024: Rebel forces 'reach Damascus suburbs' as protesters topple statue on outskirts