Rebel forces push into Damascus suburbs, continue fighting in Homs: Will Syria's Assad be surrouded soon?

Insurgents pushed into the suburbs of Damascus on Saturday (December 7), marking a dramatic escalation in Syria’s conflict and prompting the government to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country.

The rebel advances, confirmed by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, follow the Syrian army’s withdrawal from significant parts of the country’s south, leaving vast areas, including two provincial capitals, in opposition hands.

The insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group— a faction with al-Qaeda origins— met little resistance as they moved closer to the Syrian capital.

It was the first time opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area after a prolonged siege.

Panic grips Damascus

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In the capital, residents rushed to stockpile essentials, with thousands fleeing to the Syrian border with Lebanon. A resident told The Associated Press that many shops were shuttered, and those that remained open quickly sold out of staples like sugar, with prices soaring to three times their normal levels.

The swift rebel advances have thrown the city into disarray. State media attempted to calm fears by refuting claims circulating on social media that Assad had left Syria, insisting he remains in Damascus performing his duties.

Regional dynamics shift

The insurgents’ gains coincide with shifts in the regional balance of power and the distraction of Assad’s key allies. Russia, which has supported Assad with airstrikes since 2015, is heavily engaged in its war in Ukraine, Washington Post reported.

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Iran, another critical backer, is increasingly focused on its conflict with Israel, which has intensified strikes against Iranian assets and its proxy Hezbollah, which also has forces in Syria.

The ongoing battle for Homs, 100 miles north of Damascus, is becoming increasingly critical. A rebel victory in Syria’s third-largest city could split Assad’s territory in two, isolating the capital from regime strongholds along the Mediterranean coast.

With inputs from agencies