Syrian Rebels Enter Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad Flees
Rebels Capture Major Cities, Free Prisoners in Homs as Assad’s Forces Retreat
Damascus: According to foreign media reports, Syrian rebels have entered the capital, Damascus, and were seen in the Harza area. Despite intense clashes with government forces, the rebels’ advance continues, with reports indicating they have taken control of four major cities in the past 24 hours: Daraa, Quneitra, Sweida, and Homs.
In Homs, rebels have reportedly freed hundreds of prisoners from the local jail. After the withdrawal of government troops from the central city, thousands of Homs residents took to the streets, chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria.”
U.S. officials have claimed that President Bashar al-Assad may have fled the country, though the presidential palace has denied these reports. Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Damascus, rebels have reportedly toppled a statue of former President Hafez al-Assad, while demonstrators shouted anti-Bashar al-Assad slogans.
According to foreign news agencies, there are continuing reports of Syrian soldiers fleeing to Iraq, as the country’s ongoing civil war enters a new and more chaotic phase.
