Rebels say they have begun a siege of the capital. Opposition protests have already been seen in the suburbs of Damascus.
17:23•Updated 17:29
The Syrian presidential office denies claims that the president Bashar al-Assad would have left Damascus as rebel forces approached the capital.
According to Syrian opposition sources, the rebels have reached the outer suburbs of Damascus on Saturday, AP news agency reports.
About ten kilometers away from the center of Damascus, the anti-government protesters toppled a statue of President Bashar al-Assad’s father today, eyewitnesses tell the news agency Reuters.
The rebels have said they have begun the siege of Damascus today.
– Our troops have started the last phase of the siege of the capital Damascus, commented the rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense denies claims that government forces have withdrawn from positions near the capital.
Earlier on Saturday, the rebels said they had captured, among other things, the town of Al-Sanamay, which is located about 20 kilometers from Damascus.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, AP
The news is updated.