Barran Press
For the eleventh consecutive day, Syrian opposition forces have made sweeping advances against regime and Iranian-backed militia troops, who are witnessing significant collapse and retreat towards the outskirts of Damascus.
Late on Friday, December 6, 2024, the opposition announced its control over the last village on the outskirts of Homs, following the liberation of the cities of Rastan and Talbiseh in northern Homs.
Hassan Abdulghani, a leader in the military operations management, stated on the platform X that opposition forces are now at the gates of Homs, issuing a "final call" for regime forces in the city to defect.
He noted that remnants of the "criminal regime" are experiencing substantial collapse and fleeing before the advancing opposition, adding, “We have secured the defection of several military groups from regime troops, and others are coordinating with us to defect in Homs and its countryside.”
He highlighted that on Friday alone, 1,183 regime personnel applied for temporary identification in Aleppo, bringing the total over four days to 2,424.
The strategic importance of Homs lies in its geographic position, connecting Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, making it a crossroads for regional and international powers, and it serves as a gateway to the capital, Damascus—the largest province in Syria by area.
In the south, the opposition also claimed control over more than 80% of Daraa province. Al Jazeera reported that "hundreds of Syrian regime forces fled from the center of Daraa city after our troops advanced."
Earlier on December 6, various opposition factions announced the establishment of a "Southern Operations Room" in Daraa, Quneitra, and Suwayda provinces. They subsequently declared control over the strategic Tal al-Hara site in Daraa countryside and the 52nd Brigade base near the town of Harak, with fighting extending to the southern border with Jordan.
Additionally, opposition forces seized military points in the town of Aqirba, Tel al-Hosh east of Nawa, and the town of Jbeiliya in western Daraa, capturing several regime soldiers.
As opposition factions approached Homs, the Syrian regime surrendered control of Deir ez-Zor province to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after withdrawing its troops from the area.
Previously, the regime had pulled back from seven villages in Deir ez-Zor, handing them over to the SDF, along with the military airport there. The SDF confirmed their deployment in the city and west of the Euphrates after the Syrian army's withdrawal, asserting that the Al-Bukamal border crossing with Iraq is under their control, according to Reuters.
Politically, the Wall Street Journal reported on December 6 that Egyptian and Jordanian officials urged President Bashar al-Assad to leave the country and form a government in exile. The report stated that Assad had sent a message to Turkey requesting intervention to halt the advances of the Syrian opposition.
Sources cited that Assad sought weapons and intelligence assistance from Arab nations, but his requests have so far been denied.
Bloomberg reported that a source close to the Kremlin confirmed that there is no plan for Russia to rescue Assad as opposition forces rapidly gain control of vast areas. The source added that Russia "does not expect any plans to save Assad as long as the Syrian army abandons its positions."
This follows a warning from the Russian embassy in Damascus, advising Russian citizens to leave the country due to the deteriorating situation while affirming that the embassy would continue its operations as usual.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that stabilizing the situation in Syria is not easy, describing the current events as a "complex game" involving many parties.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed hope that Syrian fighters would continue their advance without issues, considering that the next target after capturing cities like Aleppo and Hama is Damascus.
Erdoğan stated to reporters after Friday prayers, "We contacted Assad and said: Let’s determine the future of Syria together. Unfortunately, we did not receive a positive response on this matter."
Regarding the opposition's progress, he noted, "The opposition continues to advance in Idlib, Hama, and Homs... and the target, of course, is Damascus. The opposition's march continues, and we hope it proceeds without incidents or problems."
On November 27, 2024, the military administration of the Syrian opposition launched a military operation named "Deterring Aggression," starting with the capture of Aleppo province, followed by Hama, and now approaching Homs and Daraa, with eyes set on the capital, Damascus, where President Bashar al-Assad is entrenched. There are growing regional and international expectations of a complete collapse of the regime in the coming hours.