7.12. 23:35•Updated 7.12. 23:56
In Syria, the rebels have penetrated the important city of Homs late on Saturday night and managed to take over some areas there. This is reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the war in Syria.
According to the organization, the president of Syria Bashar al-Assad army soldiers have withdrawn from areas seized by rebel groups led by the Islamic extremist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The rebels themselves have told the news agencies that they have released more than 3,500 prisoners from the military prison they took over in Homs.
The capture of Homs, Syria’s third largest city after Aleppo, Hama and Daraa, would be a huge blow to the country’s regime. If the rebels get Homs, it is predicted that it will also mean the fall of the capital Damascus. According to the Syrian Ministry of Defense, the protection of Damascus has been strengthened.
The news is updated.
Sources: AFP, Reuters, STT