BEIRUT, Dec 6: Syrian rebels advanced into two central towns early Friday, located just north of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, as reported by both an opposition war monitor and pro-government media.
This incursion into Rastan and Talbiseh followed the previous day’s capture of Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, by opposition fighters after the Syrian army retreated to avoid urban combat and protect civilian lives.
The insurgents, primarily led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have declared intentions to advance toward Homs and Damascus, the stronghold of President Bashar Assad.
Homs, which saw insurgent control until 2014, serves as a crucial junction between Damascus and the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where Assad has substantial support. Homs province is the largest in Syria and shares borders with Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan.
Insurgents are now reported to be just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Homs, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“The battle of Homs is the mother of all battles and will determine Syria’s ruler,” stated Rami Abdurrahman, the Observatory’s director.
Pro-government Sham FM noted that the rebels entered Rastan and Talbiseh without encountering any resistance. The Syrian military has yet to comment on whether it has pulled back from these towns.
State news agency SANA cited an unnamed military official stating that the Syrian and Russian air forces are currently striking insurgent positions in Hama province, resulting in the deaths of numerous fighters.
Following Hama’s fall, opposition activists reported a mass exodus of pro-Assad residents from Homs heading towards Damascus and the coast.
Syria’s defense minister remarked in a televised address on Thursday that the government’s withdrawal from Hama was a tactical strategy and promised to reclaim lost territories.
General Ali Mahmoud Abbas described the insurgents as “takfiri” or Muslim extremists, claiming they receive support from foreign nations, implicitly pointing to Turkey and the United States, both significant backers of the opposition.
“We are in a strong position on the ground,” Abbas asserted, stating that the army’s withdrawal from Hama was a “temporary tactical measure” and emphasizing that their forces remain at Hama’s gates.
His statements came prior to the insurgents’ movement south from Hama toward Homs.
The offensive is spearheaded by HTS alongside a coalition of Turkish-backed Syrian militias known as the Syrian National Army. Their dramatic takeover of Aleppo, a historic trade center, has been a remarkable achievement for Assad’s adversaries and has reignited a conflict that had largely stagnated in recent years. (AP)
