Syrian Rebels Gain Momentum in Homs and Near Damascus, Challenging Assad's Rule
Advancing Towards Damascus
Syrian rebels advance near Homs. Image credit: Reuters.
Syrian rebels battled government forces for control of the key city of Homs on Saturday, marking a decisive moment in the ongoing conflict as insurgents made substantial advances towards the capital, Damascus. With the front lines collapsing across the country, President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule now stands on the edge of collapse. Since the rebels’ sweep into Aleppo just a week ago, the Syrian government’s defenses have disintegrated at an alarming pace. Insurgents have seized a string of major cities, rising in places where the rebellion had long seemed extinguished.
The twin threats to strategically vital Homs and the capital Damascus now pose an existential threat to Assad's decades of rule in Syria and the continued influence of his main regional backer, Iran. A Homs resident, along with army and rebel sources, reported that insurgents had breached government defenses from the north and east of the city. A rebel commander confirmed they had taken control of an army camp and several villages outside Homs.
Despite this, state television maintained that the insurgents had not entered Homs but were only on the outskirts, where they were reportedly being targeted by government artillery and drones. Within 24 hours, insurgents had seized almost the entire southwest of Syria and advanced to within 30 km (20 miles) of Damascus as government forces retreated.
In Damascus, an uprising seems imminent, as protesters in several suburbs tore down Assad’s portraits and even a statue of his father, former President Hafez al-Assad, while avoiding confrontation with army or police forces. Some protesters were joined by defected soldiers who had switched to civilian clothes, according to residents.
Meanwhile, the state news agency reported that Assad remains in Damascus, with the military reinforcing the capital and its southern borders.
The rapid pace of events has sent shockwaves through Arab capitals and raised fears of further regional instability. Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011 as an uprising against Assad, has drawn in major foreign powers, created space for jihadist groups, and displaced millions of refugees.
Assad had relied heavily on allies, including Russian air support and Iran-backed forces such as Hezbollah and Iraqi militias, to suppress the rebels. However, Russia’s focus on Ukraine and Hezbollah’s losses in its war with Israel have limited their ability to assist Assad in this crucial moment.
Article sourced from Reuters.