Syrian Rebels Say They Have Reached Capital Damascus In 'Final Stage'

Syrian rebels have reached the suburbs of Damascus as part of a rapidly moving offensive that has seen them seize control of some of the country’s largest cities. The announcement was made by an opposition forces commander on Saturday, as reported by the Associated Press.

Reports also said that the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas under opposition control, including two provincial capitals. Amid these developments, Syria’s state media denied rumours circulating on social media that President Bashar al-Assad had left the country, saying that he is carrying out his duties in the capital.

Hassan Abdul-Ghani, an insurgent commander, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have entered the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. He added that insurgents were headed from southern Syria toward Damascus.

The rapid advances by rebels are a blow to Syria's President Bashar Assad, whose allies are preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is preoccupied with its war in Ukraine, while Lebanon's Hezbollah has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, Iran’s regional proxies have been degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes.

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The offensive, which began on November 27, is spearheaded by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS). During the offensive, gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest. They are also staging an offensive on Homs, Syria's third-largest city. On Saturday afternoon, Syrian rebels said they entered Homs from the north and east, according to news agency Reuters.

HTS, which has its roots in al-Qaeda, is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations. In an exclusive interview with CNN on Thursday, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani said that the aim of the offensive is to overthrow Assad's government.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, foreign ministers from Iran, Russia, and Turkey were scheduled to meet to discuss the ongoing situation in Syria. Turkey remains a key supporter of the rebels aiming to oust Assad.