Syria Crisis: Rebels announce full control over Homs, reach Damascus' suburb

The Syrian civil war crisis has been intensifying over the past days, with the rebels enjoying the full control they gained over the key city of Homs early on Sunday.

After Homs, Syrian rebels are now eyeing the capital city of Damascus. The struggle between President Assad's forces and the anti-government rebels is only growing with the capture of these cities.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime's military has sent a message to residents assuring them that it will continue to defend the country, as rebels say they are circling in on the capital Damascus.

Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany said early on Sunday that insurgent forces "fully liberated" Syria's central city of Homs, Reuters reported.

Islamist-led rebels entered Syria's third city Homs late Saturday taking control of some districts, a war monitor said, drawing a swift denial from the defence ministry, AFP reported.

Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, for the first time since the region was recaptured by government troops in 2018, opposition activists and a rebel commander said Saturday.

Syria's embattled government said Saturday it was setting up a ring of steel around Damascus, as rebels on a lightning advance said they were bearing down on the capital, AFP reported.

With Syrian rebels edging ever closer to the capital, President Bashar Al-Assad is making a last-ditch attempt to remain in power, including indirect diplomatic overtures to the US and President-elect Donald Trump, reported Bloomberg.

Reports indicate that the Syrian military is withdrawing from areas of Damascus as rebels advance towards the city.

The Syrian government forces denied rumours that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. However, CNN reported that Assad was ‘nowhere to be found in Damascus.’

Insurgents' stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital Damascus and with the government forced to deny rumours that President Bashar Assad had fled the country, reported AP.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and the main rebels' backer Turkey met on Saturday and agreed on the importance of Syria's territorial integrity and on restarting a political process, Reuters reported.

Syria Crisis Live: The Israeli army on Saturday said that they were assisting UN peacekeeping forces in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights in repelling an attack "by armed individuals".

"A short while ago, an attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria," the army said in a statement, referring to a town on the edge of the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights.

"The (Israeli army) is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack."

Syria Crisis Live: President-elect Donald Trump posted on the platform Truth Social on Saturday, commenting on the current advance of rebel forces looking to overthrow president Basha Al-Assad in Syria.

"Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!" Trump said.

Syria Crisis Live: As insurgent forces advance into the capital city of Damascus, residents told news agency Associated Press that the city was on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops were running out of staple foods.

Syria Crisis Live: Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Saturday that he hopes Syria "finds peace", amid rebels advancing towards the capital Damascus.

He also stated that the country is “tired of war, blood and tears” as rebels attempt to overthrow his ally president Bashar al-Assad's regime.

"Our wish is for our neighbour, Syria, to find the peace and tranquility it has been dreaming of for 13 years," said Erdogan, adding that he wanted to see a Syria where different identities could co-exist.

"Our Syrian brothers and sisters deserve freedom, security and peace in their homeland. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future," Erdogan said during a speech delivered in the south-eastern city of Gaziantep, which houses several thousand Syrian refugees.

Syria Crisis Live: Syrian rebels have entered the major city of Homs from the north and east on Saturday, a resident, army and rebel sources told Reuters.

Syria Crisis Live: Syrian insurgents have advanced to the suburbs of Damascus as part of a rapidly progressing offensive, capturing some of Syria’s largest cities, according to opposition activists and a rebel commander on Saturday.

Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that insurgents are now active in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana, and Daraya. He also reported that opposition fighters were marching from eastern Syria toward the suburb of Harasta.

Hassan Abdul-Ghani, a commander with the insurgents, shared on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have begun the "final stage" of their offensive, encircling Damascus. He also noted that insurgents are moving toward the capital from southern Syria.

Syria Crisis Live: In Jermana, south of Damascus, residents told Reuters, that protestors brought down a statue of president Bashar al-Assad's father Hafez al-Assad, former military dictator of Syria.

Syria Crisis Live: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the Syrian government and the opposition to hold "political dialogue" after rebel forces advance.

After talks with Russian and Turkish foreign ministers on Syria, Araghchi said parties agreed on the initiation of "political dialogue between the Syrian government and the legitimate opposition groups".

Syria Crisis Live: The leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group told fighters to prepare to take the capital Damascus, after launching a successful offensive that has led to the capture of several key territories in Syria.

"Damascus awaits you," said HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in a statement addressed to rebel fighters on Telegram.

Syria Crisis Live: Russian war bloggers have warned that two strategically important military facilities of the country located in Syria, Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the naval facility at Tartous, face significant threats from rebel forces, reported Reuters.

The Tartous base is Russia's sole Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub, crucial for its operations in the region and Africa. A war blogger stated that losing the Hmeimim airbase would severely limit Russia’s ability to conduct air strikes, which he estimates make up 75% of Moscow's military capabilities in Syria.

Syria Crisis Live: Syrian troops on Saturday withdrew from their positions in the southern province of Quneitra bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights reported AFP.

"Regime forces evacuated military and security positions while civil servants left their posts, leaving the province (of Quneitra) free of the Syrian army for the very first time," said Rami Abdel Rahman from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

Syria Crisis Live: As the Syrian rebels advance towards Damascus and increase their presence in Homs, the government troops have started withdrawing themselves from southern provinces and redeploying towards the rebel forces to stop their lightning takeover of key territories.

Syria Crisis Live: A source close to Hezbollah said on Saturday that the group sent 2,000 fighters to a part of Syria.

“Hezbollah sent 2,000 fighters to the Qusayr area to defend its positions there and has not yet participated in any battles with Syrian rebels”, the source told AFP.

Syria Crisis Live: Syrian rebel forces on Saturday secured Sanamayn, bringing their territory expansion within 20 kilometers from the southern gate of Damascus, rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany said according to Reuters.