Syrian rebel forces have made significant strides towards the central city of Homs, while Kurdish fighters have effectively taken control of the eastern desert, shaking President Bashar al-Assad’s hold on power and sparking local uprisings against his regime in the south.
If Islamist militants were to capture Homs in their rapid offensive, it would sever the connection between the capital, Damascus, and the coast, where Assad’s Russian allies maintain a naval and air base.
Compounding Mr. Assad’s challenges, a US-backed coalition led by Syrian Kurdish fighters has taken Deir el-Zor, which serves as the government’s main stronghold in the vast eastern desert, according to three Syrian sources who spoke with local journalists.
This marks the third major city to fall from Mr. Assad’s control within a week, following Aleppo and Hama in the northwest and central regions.
After years of stalemate along frozen front lines, rebel forces have surged from their northwest stronghold in Idlib, achieving the most rapid battlefield advances seen since the street uprising against Mr. Assad escalated into civil war 13 years ago.
A truck transports the head of the downed statue of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad through the streets of Hama.
The Syrian leader had regained control over much of the country with the assistance of key allies—Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah—but all have recently faced distractions from other crises, giving Sunni Muslim militants an opportunity to counterattack.
In a related development, a senior Iranian official stated that Iran, which has been preoccupied with tensions involving its arch-nemesis Israel since the onset of the Gaza conflict, plans to send missiles, drones, and additional advisers to Syria.
The head of the Syrian faction leading the aggressive onslaught, during his first interview since commencing territorial gains from Mr. Assad’s forces on November 27, told CNN that his group—formerly an Al-Qaeda affiliate now known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—aims to “build Syria” and facilitate the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon and Europe.
Displaced Syrians are seen evacuating northward through the town of Khan Shaykhun to escape confrontations in Hama.
Rebels have thus far captured two major cities and are now advancing toward the pivotal crossroads of Homs.
HTS, which distanced itself from Al-Qaeda in 2016, asserts that it poses no threat to the West and has endeavored to reform its image, presenting itself as a feasible alternative to the 54-year authoritarian rule of the Assad family.
Surprise offensive
The rebels’ rapid offensive has taken many by surprise and has empowered other resistance forces against Assad. In a video statement, Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany urged high-ranking military personnel to defect.
At least three individuals were killed during clashes between Druze militias and security forces in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, as reported by two witnesses and a local activist.
The Israeli military announced that it was bolstering aerial and ground forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and was prepared for any eventualities.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has also dispatched a small contingent of “supervising forces” from Lebanon to Syria overnight, aiming to thwart anti-government fighters from taking Homs, according to two senior Lebanese security sources who spoke to Reuters.
However, Israel has severely weakened Hezbollah’s capabilities in combat this year, having targeted and assassinated its top leaders and significantly damaged its military infrastructure.
Residents set fire to a large poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the facade of city hall.
HTS rebels reported capturing the towns of Tabisa and Rastan, bringing them within kilometers of Homs.
The Syrian military refuted claims that it retreated from Homs, stating in a declaration that its forces were stationed along “steady and solid defense lines” in the area.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring organization, thousands have begun fleeing Homs, heading towards the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, both strongholds of the government.
Islamic State
In another troubling turn for Mr. Assad, the leader of the US-backed Syrian Kurdish force reported that the Islamic State group, which previously instilled fear across large areas of Iraq and Syria before being defeated by a US-led coalition in 2017, has recently regained control over certain regions in eastern Syria.
“Given the recent developments, there’s been a heightened movement by Islamic State militants in the Syrian desert, particularly in the southern and western parts of Deir Al-Zor and the al-Raqqa countryside,” Mazloum Abdi informed reporters, referring to regions in eastern Syria.
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HTS-led rebels have sought to leverage their rapid capture of Aleppo in the north and Hama in west-central Syria by advancing toward Homs, located an additional 40 km to the south.
A rebel operations room appealed to Homs residents in an online message, urging them to rise up, stating: “Your time has come”.
