As part of a deal, the military has agreed to make an orderly withdrawal from Daraa, while the army officials have been given safe passage to the capital Damascus, situated roughly 100 km (60 miles) to the north, Reuters quoted sources within the rebel side as saying.
Multiple videos and photographs on social media platforms showed rebels on motorcycles along with others mingling with residents on the streets.
Meanwhile, several people were seen firing shots into the air at the city’s main square in a ‘celebration’, according to reports.
“In southern Syria, the province of Daraa was taken without the need for a single shot, as Assad’s forces abandoned their positions. Located just 100 km from Damascus, the Syrian capital, this strategic region is now under rebel control,” read a post on X by an independent journalist.
❗️????????⚔️???????? – In southern Syria, the province of Daraa was taken without the need for a single shot, as Assad’s forces abandoned their positions. Located just 100 km from Damascus, the Syrian capital, this strategic region is now under rebel control.
According to the Wall Street… pic.twitter.com/inQEpXrA03— ????????The Informant (@theinformant_x) December 6, 2024
Thousands flee Homs
The anti-government forces in the country, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group, had in a short statement posted on Telegram late on Friday said that they reached the edge of Homs, a key crossroads between the capital city and the Mediterranean coast.
This came hours after thousands of people began to flee the important city, according to Al Jazeera, which added that the fighters have even called on the Syrian government forces to defect.
Once captured, Homs would cut off Damascus from the coastal stronghold of Assad’s minority Alawite sect along with the naval base and air base of his Russian allies there, Reuters said.
“Our forces have liberated the last village on the outskirts of the city of Homs and are now on its walls,” read the Telegram post.
Advisory and evacuations
The conflict in Syria has prompted a swift response from multiple nations.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has advised Indian nationals to avoid all travel to Syria.
“Indians currently in Syria are requested to remain in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID [email protected] for updates. Those who can, are advised to leave by the earliest available commercial flights and others are requested to observe utmost precaution about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum,” the MEA advisory said.
The Russian embassy in Damascus also urged its citizens to leave Syria, while Iran noted that it has evacuated its military and embassy personnel, which includes senior commanders of the Quds Force.
In a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged a dialogue between rebel groups and the Syrian government.
Rebels targeted
According to local media, the Russian-Syrian airstrikes have targeted the rebel headquarters in Hama, Idlib as well as Aleppo, killing at least 200 insurgents on Friday.
In the 13-year-long Syrian conflict, more than 305,000 people have been killed between 2011 and 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Office said in 2022.
Meanwhile, Lebanese armed group Hezbollah sent ‘supervising forces’ to Syria on Friday night to prevent the rebels from seizing the strategic city of Homs, Reuters reported quoting two senior Lebanese security sources.
Senior officers have been deployed to oversee some Hezbollah fighters who had been in Syria near the border with Lebanon for years, the report added.
