Rebels advancing rapidly through Syria say they were approaching Damascus on Saturday, though the regime of Bashar al-Assad rejected claims that the military had pulled back from areas surrounding the capital.
“Our troops have initiated the final stage of encircling the capital,” declared rebel leader Hassan Abdel Ghani, part of the Islamist-led coalition that commenced the offensive.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist faction leading the attack, urged fighters to get ready to seize the stronghold of Assad’s administration just over a week into a renewed offensive in the long-stalled conflict.
“Damascus awaits you,” stated HTS’s Ahmed al-Sharaa in a message on Telegram, using his real identity instead of his alias, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Syria’s defence ministry said military forces were “present in all areas of the Damascus countryside.”
In a suburb of Damascus on Saturday, witnesses reported that demonstrators toppled a statue of the late President Hafez al-Assad, who passed on power to his son. Similar scenes were observed in images circulated by local media in the southern city of Daraa and online footage verified by AFP from Hama, located north of the capital.
Syria’s presidency refuted claims that Assad had exited Damascus, stating he was “continuing with his work and national and constitutional responsibilities from the capital.”
