Syria rebels encircle Damascus in major threat to Assad regime

The rebel alliance is fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops from the northern and southernmost parts of the country, ITV News’ Amy Lewis reports
Syria’s armed rebels are attempting an operation to encircle the country’s capital, Damascus, a spokesperson said on Telegram.
Hassan Abdulghani, the spokesperson of the rebel coalition led by the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group, said the “final phase” of their operation to “encircle” Damascus had started.
ITV News could not verify that claim.
There are also reports that government forces are withdrawing from the strategic city of Homs, while the whereabouts of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are currently unknown.
Syria’s state media denied rumours circulating on social media that Assad had left the country, saying he is performing his duties in the capital, Damascus.
Homs is an important stretch between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support.
In Damascus there are security forces on the streets and many shops are running out of staple foods.
This is the first time that opposition forces have reached the outskirts of the Syrian capital since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the region adjacent to the capital following a years-long siege.
Footage on social media shows locals in Damascus trying to pull down a statue of the late former president – and current President Bashar al-Assad’s father – Hafez al-Assad in the southern city of Jaramana
A statue of Bassel al-Assad, the late brother of the current president, was toppled in Aleppo earlier in the week
The Syrian military denied that their forces are withdrawing from the Damascus region, calling reports of their retreat “a false media campaign… by armed terrorist organisations… with the aim of spreading panic and fear among civilians in the Damascus countryside”.
Earlier on Saturday, opposition faction fighters penetrated the town of Kanaker, in the Damascus countryside, ITV News’ US affiliate CNN reported.
The rebel alliance is fighting President Assad’s troops from the northern and southernmost parts of the country.
The rebels’ claim follows tangible signs of advances in the southwestern city of Daraa – where the uprising erupted in 2011.
Further north, armed rebel fighters entered the central city of Palmyra on Saturday, as anti-regime forces leapt through patches of government-held territory in a 10-day offensive.
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President-elect Donald Trump weighed in on the escalating situation in Syria on Saturday, posting on his social media platform Truth: “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”
Israel’s military also issued a statement to say that it would not be intervening in the events in Syria.
Eight key countries gathered with the United Nations special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, with further talks to follow.
The UN envoy Geir Pedersen said there should be urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition”.
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