After the jihadists’ lightning offensive in Syria, ruler Bashar al-Assad is now threatened with a decisive battle – namely around the strategically important city of Homs (see video above). Government forces have already withdrawn.
Militias loyal to the government are still stationed in Syria’s third-largest city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. She follows the war in the country with a network of informants. The cities of Talbiseh and Rastan near Homs have already been captured.
City crucial for victory?
Homs is a crossroads between the capital Damascus, the coastal areas and the north of the country. About 1.5 million people live there. The city has long been a symbolic place of resistance during the civil war. “Whoever wins the battle with Homs will rule Syria,” said the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel-Rahman.
The Islamists announced on Friday evening that they had reached the outskirts of Homs. They called on the Syrian army forces to defect. The residents must also rise up and join the revolution. “Your time has come,” the group shouted.
Russian air force in action
Meanwhile, the Russian air force, together with Syrian warplanes, says it has destroyed rebel positions and ammunition depots – in the provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo. Two hundred terrorists and dozens of units of military technology were “destroyed,” an air force officer said. The information could not be independently verified.
The war in Syria began in 2011 with protests against Assad’s government and culminated in a civil war with international participation. The governments of Russia, Iran, Turkey and the US pursue their own interests. On November 27, the war suddenly flared up again with the offensive of the Islamic alliance Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In a very short time the group conquered a large area – sometimes without a fight.
There were fears of 1.5 million refugees
Last Sunday, the second largest Syrian city, Aleppo, fell. The alliance plans to overthrow the Syrian government. According to UN estimates, more than 300,000 civilians have been killed so far. About 14 million people have been displaced since the war began in 2011.
The United Nations now expects 1.5 million additional refugees. “Most of the displaced are women and children. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that tens of thousands of people have now arrived in northeastern Syria,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday. Many emergency shelters are already reaching their limits and people are sleeping on the streets or in their cars.
The current fighting is the fiercest in four years. A political solution has not been in sight for years.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
