Syrian civil war LIVE updates: Opposition fighters in Syria have reached the outskirts of Capital Damascus for the first time since 2018, the year country’s troops had recaptured the area after years of siege. The fighters closing in on capital are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS.
Syrian opposition fighters drive past a burning government armored vehicle south of Hama, Syria, on Saturday, Dec 7, 2024.
Syrian civil war LIVE updates: Having captured four cities in one day, Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs, the Syrian rebels are now eyeing the capital city of Damascus. However, the fight between these anti-government forces and President Bashar al-Assad’s troops continue to intensify in the backdrop. Early on Sunday, the rebels announced that they have gained full control over the key city of Homs, striking a major attack on President al-Assad’s 24-year-long rule.…Read More
Celebrating their victory, rebels fired in the air and several other took down the Syrian president’s posters.
Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani, in a statement early on Sunday, said operations were going to “complete liberate” the countryside around Damascus and rebel forces were looking toward the capital.
Syrian civil war | Key points
- The Syrian rebels launched an attack on the country’s government headed by President Bashar al-Assad on November 27.
- It soon began breaching the cities, with the Syrian military confirming rebels’ presence in the Aleppo city.
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a breakaway faction of al-Qaeda, was the one who staged the surprise offensive on Aleppo.
- Reports of President Assad seeking Russia’s help in the civil war surfaced. This is because the Russian president Vladimir Putin’s interference in the Syrian civil war almost a decade ago worked in Assad’s favour.
- Iran also reportedly was trying to help back Syria by sending fighters to the war-torn country.
- Amid escalating tensions, India advised its citizens to avoid all travel to Syria until further notice, urging those present in the country to leave at the earliest.
- US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that America should refrain from military action in Syria, as an insurgent offensive reached the suburbs of the capital city of Damascus. “This is not our fight,” he said.
- Syrian rebels captured four cities in a day, including the key city of Homs and President Assad’s birthplace, Daraa. The rebels have said that they are now focusing on Damascus, the capital of Syria.
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Dec 8, 2024 7:23 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Turkey rejects claims of involvement in current offensive
Though Turkey has been a key supporter of the fighters seeking to overthrow President Assad’s regime, its officials have rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive in Syria, AP reported.
Dec 8, 2024 7:16 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Aim of rebels’ offensive is ‘overthrowing’ Assad regime
The Syrian rebels, led by HTS, have just one major aim in their offensive, and that is to “overthrow” president Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani had reaffirmed the same in an interview with CNN earlier this week.
Dec 8, 2024 7:09 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Security forces have left Damascus airport, say reports
According to AFP, the Syrian civil war monitor has said that the Syrian army and security forces have left the Damascus airport.
Dec 8, 2024 6:57 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Hezbollah withdraws from Homs, Damascus outskirts, say reports
Hezbollah is withdrawing its forces from the outskirts of Capital Damascus and the Homs are, AFP reported citing a source close to the Lebanese group on Sunday.
The group has “instructed its fighters in recent hours to withdraw from the Homs area, with some heading to Latakia (in Syria) and others to Hermel area in Lebanon”, the source told AFP.
They added that Hezbollah fighters have also withdrawn from their posts around Damascus.
Dec 8, 2024 6:53 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Amid rising conflict, President Assad’s whereabouts unknown
As the conflict in Syria continues to intensify, the whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad remain unknown.
The government, earlier, was forced to deny rumours that the Syrian president had fled the country.
The 24-year-long rule of Assad has been brought to the edge by the Syrian rebels, who now have control of majority of the key cities. The rebels are now inching closer towards the capital city of Damascus.
Dec 8, 2024 6:47 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: EU closely monitoring situation in Syria
The European Union is closely monitoring the volatile situation in Syria, EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni posted on X.
“We urge all parties to protect civilians and ensure the safety of humanitarian aid workers. We reiterate our call for a political solution consistent with UNSCR 2254 (UN Security Council Resolution 2254),” he added.
Dec 8, 2024 6:40 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Intense shooting sounds heard in Damascus, say reports
Two residents, cited by Reuters, said that intense sounds of shooting is being heard in the centre of the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Dec 8, 2024 6:39 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Assad regime has control of only 3 provincial capitals
For the first time ever in Syria’s long-standing civil war, the government has control of only three of the 14 provincial capitals, Damascus, Latakia, and Tartus.
Amid the surprise attack from Syria’s most powerful insurgent group, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, president Bashar al-Assad’s regime is starting to hang by a thread.
Dec 8, 2024 6:28 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Assad regime’s defenses collapse in Damascus
Defenses of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have collapsed in the capital city of Damas, reports said.
According to a CNN report, a resident told the media organization that rebel forces appear to have entered Damascus amid the collapse of Assad regime’s defenses.
“The rebels are in Barzeh. I saw rebel fighters moving through the inner alleys of Barzeh toward Police Club Street, and I can hear very loud sounds of clashes. The electricity is cut off, and the internet is very weak, people are staying at their houses,” the resident was quoted as saying.
Dec 8, 2024 6:23 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Syrian forces withdraw from Damascus airport
As Syrian rebels close in on the capital city, reports have said that Syrian forces are withdrawing from the Damascus international airport.
Dec 8, 2024 6:20 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: What Trump said about Syrian conflict
US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said that America should refrain from military action in Syria. “This is not our fight,” he said.
The comments came in the backdrop of Syrian rebel forces capturing key cities in the country, keeping its focus stern on Capital Damascus.
Dec 8, 2024 6:10 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Hezbollah force withdraws from Qusayr city, says report
Pro-Iranian Hezbollah has withdrawn from the Syrian city of Qusayr along its country, Lebanon’s border shortly before rebel forces seized it, Syrian army sources were cited as saying on Sunday by Reuters.
They told the news agency that at least 150 armored vehicles carrying hundreds of fighters left the city in phases.
Notably, Qusayr has been a key supply route for the militia’s arms transfer and flow of fighters in and out of Syria since Hezbollah seized it in 2013.
Dec 8, 2024 6:06 AM IST
Syrian civil war LIVE: Rebels have their ‘eyes’ on Capital Damascus
After capturing the key cities in Syria, the rebels are now focused on Capital Damascus.
The rebel forces have reached the suburbs of the capital city, leaving President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year-long rule to hang by a thread.
Syrian rebel group’s spokesperson Lt Col Hassan Abdul Ghani early on Sunday (local time) issued a statement and said, “We were able to liberate four Syrian cities with 24 hours: Daraa, Quneitra, Suwayda and Homs, and our operations are continuing to liberate the entire Damascus countryside and our eyes are on the capital, Damascus,” CNN cited in its report.
2024-12-08 00:41:28
