Rebel forces in Syria are on a swift mission to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. The leader of the rebels, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, told CNN their main goal is to end Assad’s rule. Recently, the rebels have made significant gains, taking over important cities including Aleppo and Hama. Now, they are just a few miles away from Homs, a city crucial for Assad’s control over the country.
If the rebels take Homs, it would cut off the capital, Damascus, from the coast, where Assad’s supporters are based. This advance has led to many people from Assad’s Alawite community fleeing Homs in fear of the fighting. One local resident described the scene as filled with cars escaping the city.
Homs has been at the center of violence since the civil war began in 2011, starting with peaceful protests against Assad’s government. As the fighting worsens, people are scared. Another local resident said, “We don’t know what is happening. We are extremely afraid.”
The rebels recently entered Rastan and Talbisseh, two towns near Homs, facing little resistance from government troops. The Syrian army is responding with airstrikes against rebel positions in Hama. Since the offensive began last week, more than 800 people have been reported killed, with many others displaced.
On social media, the rebels celebrated their victory in Hama, where they clashed with government forces. Some residents even burned a large poster of Assad to show their excitement. A researcher remarked that losing Hama is a huge setback for the Syrian government.
If Assad loses Homs, he may struggle to maintain control. Several reports suggest that a significant number of civilians have fled, with the UN warning that the number of displaced people could rise to 1.5 million.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented that the rise in violence shows a “chronic failure” of global diplomacy. Meanwhile, fighting continues in neighboring Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, who have previously supported Assad
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