Syrian rebels continue to advance, enter two more cities

2024-12-06 20:02:33, Kosova & Bota CNA

Syrian rebels entered two more towns on Friday, north of the city of Homs, closing in on Syria's third-largest city, according to an opposition-linked human rights group and pro-government media.

The entry into Rastan and Talbiseh came a day after opposition forces took control of Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city. The Syrian army said it withdrew to avoid fighting inside the city and not to endanger civilian lives.

The rebels, led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, have said they will march on Homs and the capital Damascus, where the government of President Bashar Assad is based.

The city of Homs, parts of which were controlled by the rebels until 2014, is an important crossroads between Damascus and Syria's coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, where Mr Assad enjoys widespread support.

Homs is the largest province in Syria and borders Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. The rebels are now 5 kilometers from Homs, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that monitors the opposition's fight.

"The battle of Homs is the most important and will determine who will rule Syria," said Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the group.

Pro-government media outlet Sham FM said the insurgents entered Rastan and Talbiseh without encountering resistance. The Syrian army has not yet confirmed whether it has withdrawn from the cities.

State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying on Friday that Syrian and Russian air forces are attacking rebels in Hama province, killing dozens of fighters.

After the fall of Hama, opposition activists said thousands of Homs residents loyal to President Assad were seen heading towards Damascus and the coastal region.

Syria's defense minister said in a televised statement late Thursday that the withdrawal of government forces from Hama was a tactical measure and vowed to retake lost areas.

General Ali Mahmoud Abbas said the insurgents, whom he described as Muslim extremists, were supported by foreign countries. He did not name the countries but appeared to be referring to Turkey, which is a key backer of the opposition, as well as the United States.

"We are in a good position on the ground," General Abbas said, adding that the Syrian army's withdrawal from Hama on Thursday was "a temporary tactical measure and our forces are at the entrance of Hamas." His comments came before the rebels marched south of Hama, approaching Homs.

The offensive is being led by HTS as well as a coalition of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Their surprise takeover of the northern city of Aleppo, a historic business center, was a major victory for President Assad's opponents and reignited a conflict that had more or less died down in recent years./ VOA