The clashes between the opposition and regime forces continue on the 10th day. Failure to prevent the progress of the opposition radically shakes the power of the Assad regime. It is reported that the opposition is now advancing on Homs after taking Hama from the regime. The fall of Homs will mean the loss of power of the Assad regime because Homs is the only city on the road to Damascus…
18.30
THEY ALLOWED 24 HOURS
According to information obtained from local sources, a meeting was held between representatives of local groups and the regime delegation in Suwayda, close to Damascus.
During the meeting, groups from Suwayda asked the regime to withdraw its forces from the province. Stating that they did not want conflict, the armed groups gave the regime forces 24 hours to leave the city.
These local armed groups have no direct ties with other military opponents.
People throughout Suwayda have been holding anti-regime demonstrations for more than a year. The opposition’s “revolutionary flag” is featured in the demonstrations.
17.00
STATEMENT FROM IRAN! MISSILE AND UAV SUPPORT
A senior Iranian official made important statements to the British news agency Reuters regarding Iran’s support for Syria. The unnamed Iranian official said, “Most likely, Tehran may need to send military equipment, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to Syria. Iran has taken all necessary steps to increase the number of its military advisors in Syria and deploy more military forces. “Tehran is currently providing intelligence and satellite support to Syria,” he said.
“Iran and Syria are united in preventing the rebels from advancing towards major cities,” the official said. Syria has not yet requested military troops from Iran. “For now, the decision is for Syria and Russia to intensify their air strikes,” he said.
Stating that Tehran has taken all necessary steps to provide military support to the Assad regime, the official said, “Tehran and Baghdad are working on a joint defense project, including resistance groups and armed forces.”
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi said in his statement on Tuesday, “If the Syrian government requests military force from Iran, we will consider this request.”
16.36
JORDAN IS CLOSING THE BORDERS
In the light of the developments in Syria, the statement made by the Jordanian Ministry of Internal Affairs said, “The border with Syria is being closed.”
16.31
EXPLOSION IN DAMASCUS
An explosion occurred in Damascus.
While it is stated that the explosion took place near the radio and television building, it is also stated that the General Staff building is nearby.
16.02
ASSAD REGIME DECIDED TO WITHDRAWAL FROM HUMUS
The Syrian army, led by Bashar Assad, decided to withdraw from Homs. The decision was announced by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
15.46
CALL FROM RUSSIA TO ITS CITIZENS: ‘LEAVE THE COUNTRY’
The advance of the opposition, which has gained control of Aleppo and Hama in Syria, continues.
Due to the clashes between the opposition and regime forces, the Russian Embassy in Damascus issued a statement for its citizens living in the country. In the statement made by the Embassy, it was stated that due to the difficult military and political situation in Syria, Russian citizens can leave the country with commercial flights through existing airports.
15.27
GIVING A DATE AND ANNOUNCED: “WE THINK WE CAN SEE THE END OF THE ASSAD REGIME”
Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics (LSE), made very important statements to the BBC about the developments in Syria:
Saying that Homs is the “nerve center” of the Assad government and that its loss could make the capital Damascus an “easier target”, Gerges said about Syria: “The state capacity has been greatly reduced.”
Gerges also added a date and stated that the Assad regime will come to an end. Gerges’ statements are as follows:
“If Assad’s forces don’t really stop the opposition from taking over Homs, I think we could see the end of the Assad regime in the next few weeks or months.”
13.15
Anti-regime armed groups advancing in the strategically important Homs province, which opens to the capital Damascus in Syria, have reached the inner parts of the city center. The groups, who captured Rasten and Telbise district centers, advanced into the inner parts of the center after entering the Vaer District in the west of the city center.
12.45
THEY ARE WITHDRAWING FROM DEYRIZZOR
The Syrian regime handed over control of the Deir ez-Zor provincial center on the country’s Iraqi border to the terrorist organization PKK/YPG.
11.40
OPPOSITIONS CAPTURED NEW PLACES IN HUMUS
In the morning, Rasten and Telbise districts, which are the gates of Homs province, were captured by anti-regime groups.
Rasten and Telbise are located on the M5 highway connecting Aleppo-Hama-Homs and extending to Damascus.
Anti-regime groups, who took the northern village of Ter Maela and the town of Darul Kebire, continued to advance and came within 3 kilometers of the outskirts in the north of Homs.
Anti-regime groups also captured the villages of Elguntu, Zaferene, Mecdel, Deyr Fol, Asiile, Ebu Humame, Hashimiyye, Doğu Ferhane, Batı Ferhane, Vazeiyye, İzzeddin, El-Gasibiyye El-Mekremiyye, Sa’en, İzzeddin and Granada.
Anti-regime groups are also operating from Selimiye, Hama’s district, towards Homs.
09.30
HAFEZ ASAD’S STATUE WAS DEMOLISHED!
The statue of Hafez Assad in Syria’s Hama province was destroyed by the public.
According to information obtained from field sources, the statue of Bashar Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, in Hama was destroyed by the people of the city.
09.00
PROCEEDING TO HUMUS
The progress of opposition groups clashing with forces affiliated with the Bashar Assad regime in Syria continues. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the opposition groups that took control of Hama reached Rastan in Homs and seized a large number of armored vehicles and ammunition belonging to the Engineer Battalion affiliated with the Assad regime.
08.00
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF HAMA
Hama is a city of strategic critical importance. It is located 210 kilometers north of the capital Damascus.
Hama is located between Aleppo, the country’s second largest city, and Damascus. Sunnis mostly live in the city, which has a population of 1 million. However, there is also an Alevi minority.
Hama was among the first places where protests were held when the uprisings against the Assad rule began in Syria in 2011. While hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, 139 people died as a result of Syrian soldiers opening fire on the crowd.
Hama remained under the control of the Assad regime throughout the civil war.
The city witnessed bloodier uprisings in 1982. During the reign of Bashar Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, the administration intervened harshly in the uprisings led by the Muslim Brotherhood organization. While Hama was besieged for a month, between 10 thousand and 40 thousand people died.
At that time, the special units of the Syrian army were led by Hafez Assad’s brother, Rifat Assad. That’s why Rifat Assad is called the butcher of Hama.
07.45
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BRIDGE WAS DESTROYED
The Observatory reported that Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out 10 attacks targeting the outskirts of Rastan and the Rastan Bridge on the Hama-Homs road.
The Observatory stated that Assad forces established earthen barriers on the highway leading to the city of Telbise in the northern countryside of Homs, and that they sent more than 200 military vehicles loaded with weapons and equipment to the city of Homs.
07.30
THE LAST CITY BEFORE DAMASCUS: HUMUS
A critical threshold has been crossed in the clashes that have been going on since November 27 between the opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the forces of President Bashar Assad in Syria.
Armed groups led by HTS announced that they entered the city of Hama. Hama stands out as the last city before Homs on the road to Damascus.
Opposition forces took control of Hama for the first time since the civil war began in 2011.
07.15
WILL DAMASCUS FALL?
Anti-regime forces announced that they aimed to capture Homs after Hama.
Homs is located 40 kilometers south of Hama.
It is pointed out that if Homs is captured, the Assad regime’s connection between the capital Damascus and the coastal regions will be cut off.
It is commented that if Homs falls, Bashar Assad’s rule will be in danger.
07.00
SUPPORT MESSAGE FROM THE KREMLIN TO DAMASCUS
Russia, on the other hand, evaluates the situation in Syria and is in constant contact with the Syrian Government.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the scope of Russia’s aid to Damascus will depend on this assessment.
Peskov said: “We are closely monitoring what is happening in Syria right now. We are in constant dialogue with our Syrian friends and Damascus. “Depending on the assessment of the situation, we will be able to talk about the degree of assistance needed by the Syrian authorities to deal with the militants and eliminate this threat.”
Source: AA-İHA-NTV