Syria Activists: Rebels launch offensive on Damascus
According to activists, the rebels in Syria have launched their offensive on Damascus. The insurgents had entered the capital, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel-Rahman, told the German Press Agency early this morning. The rebels also confirmed the start of the offensive. According to their own statements, they had previously broken into a notorious prison and freed prisoners.
08.12.2024, 03:51
SDA
A dpa correspondent in Damascus reported loud explosions and heavy machine-gun fire. According to eyewitnesses, soldiers from the presidential guard left the capital. Abdel-Rahman said that security personnel and the army had withdrawn from Damascus International Airport. Previously, various rebel groups from the south and north had approached the capital and encircled it.
On Saturday, the rebels had captured the strategically important city of Homs, which has over a million inhabitants. On November 27, the civil war in Syria suddenly flared up again with the offensive by the Islamist alliance Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Within a short space of time, the insurgents took control of many places, including Aleppo and Hama, largely without a fight. The alliance is aiming to overthrow the Syrian government.
The civil war in Syria began in 2011 with protests against the government. The spiral of violence led to a civil war with international involvement, in which Russia, Iran, Turkey and the USA are pursuing their own interests. Around 14 million people have been displaced. According to UN estimates, more than 300,000 civilians have died so far. There has been no sign of a political solution until recently.
