Syrian jihadist uprising announces start of “final phase” of operations to encircle Damascus

The alliance of jihadists and Syrian rebels which has been advancing inexorably from the northwest of the country for ten days against the forces of President Bashar al-Assad announced this Saturday the start of the “final phase” of their operations to encircle the country’s capital, Damascus while local observers place opposition forces just ten kilometers from the city.

“Our forces have begun the final phase of the siege of the capital. Damascus is waiting for us,” the leader of the jihadist group announced. Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (or HTS, former Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda) and leader of the offensive, Abu Mohamed al Golani.

The alliance, which also includes members Turkish-backed rebelstook control of the cities of Aleppo and Hama in just over a week, both provincial capitals. The insurgents are also trying to reach Damascus through Rif Damascus, the province bordering the capital.

He Syrian Observatory for Human Rights He assures in his latest assessment that the HTS is already in the city of Artuz, ten kilometers from the capital, and that the opposition forces in the province of Deraa, south of Damascus, are also approaching the capital. The Syrian army even confirmed this Saturday that it was withdrawing its units from Deraa and Al Sueida to reposition in other areas due to “terrorist attacks” on their forces.

However, the Syrian army maintains that it will continue to fight opposition forces in the northwest of the country, especially in Homs province, to prevent the rebels’ advance north of the capital. Similarly, the Ministry of Defense has also denied information pointing to the possible mass desertion of its forces in the south of the country towards Iraq via the Al Qaim crossing.

The Syrian army has one “systematic media war” full of lies about the progress of the rebels and the jihadist opposition throughout the country, against information that places the armed alliance against President Bashar al-Assad at the gates of the capital Damascus. “Our people are facing a systematic media and terrorist war to sow chaos and panic,” the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces denounced.

“Media platforms linked to terrorists have not stopped publishing misleading videos about the events happening across Syria,” he added about the content published on networks related to the opposition’s progress, and he has also denied that Assad has fled Damascus.

He The Syrian military command urges the population that he “is aware of this plan against our country and don’t be carried away by lies“.

Türkiye, Russia and Iran, in favor of dialogue on Syria

The most important allies of the Syrian government, Iran And Russia, and the eldest back of the opposition armed against President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey, They approached their positions this Saturday calling for a cessation of hostilities in the middle of the Islamic rebels’ offensive and starts a dialogue to end the war in Syria.

“We strongly reaffirm our call to respect Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We call for an immediate cessation of war actions and the beginning of dialogue between the government and legal opposition forces,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during his intervention at the Syrian parliament. Doha Forum.

In Doha, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also emphasized that “there was consensus among all participants that the conflict should end immediately, that Syria’s territorial integrity should be respected and, most importantly, that dialogue between the Syrian government and the legitimate government had to be continued.” opposition groups.

Turkey’s President, Islamist Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has also called on all parties involved in the Syrian conflict, as well as “international organizations”, to protect the Arab country’s territorial unity. “The best thing for our region will be that all actors with responsibilities, all international organizations, support the protection of Syria’s territorial integrity,” Erdogan said during a speech before his party in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.