Syrian rebels 'reach Damascus' and take full control of Homs as Trump vows no US intervention

8 December 2024, 00:01

Syrian rebels have taken control of Homs - and have reportedly entered Damascus as the Assad regime looks to be on the brink of collapse.

The opposition forces have said they now have total control of Homs - after a resurgence in fighting in the last week which started in Aleppo.

Forces are reportedly inside the capital city of Damascus - after earlier dispatches said they were in the suburbs.

Protesters were seen to bring down a statue of the late father of Syria's president in the main square of a suburb, a few miles from the centre of the capital.

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The rebels form part of a rapidly moving offensive that has seen them take over some of Syria's largest cities, opposition activists and a rebel commander said.

The group has called for the downfall of Mr Assad and headed to government buildings in the heavily policed area of the city.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents are now active in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya.

According to Reuters, rebel sources say they had reached a deal for the army to withdraw from the Deraa region on Saturday.

Military officials were reportedly being given safe passage to the capital, Damascus - which sits roughly 100km away.

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As the situation developed, Incoming US president Donald Trump said that the US will not involve themselves in the conflict under his administration.

The President-elect said on X: "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!"

While Trump was in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, he made the statement online before a trilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Mr Trump added: "Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.

"This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping in.

Mr Assad is still believed to be in the capital, according to a statement made by his office.

It comes as the government hit out at "false news" about the president leaving the country.

Syria's government has long been supported by both Russia and Iran, with the authoritarian party's grip on power crumbling as insurgents began seizing major cities.

The rebels first captured Aleppo in the north, with Hama in the centre, Deir el Zor in the east, Suweida, Quneitra and Deraa in the south falling soon after.

According to rebel sources - as reported by Reuters, insurgents entered Homs from the north and east on Saturday.

Taking the city of Homs would cut off Damascus from Mr Assad's regime as well as from Russian bases.