Damascus Experiences Uncertainty Amid Rebel Advance Towards Syrian Capital

Zaina Shahla, a 42-year-old journalist residing in the heart of the Syrian capital, informed the BBC that Damascus’s streets were unusually deserted on Saturday night. She recounted that following a “normal” morning, the thoroughfares had been crowded with individuals seeking to acquire provisions, prompted by reports of rebel combatants – who assert they are currently seizing Homs, Syria’s third-largest city – advancing towards the capital. Presently, it appears residents have returned to their homes, with the prevailing uncertainty fostering a “sense of fear” among them. Ms Shahla stated, “We are afraid because we really don’t know what’s going to happen.” She added, “Nobody wants to see fighting in Damascus.” She further commented: “Everything is ambiguous and nothing is clear for anyone.” Rim Turkmani, who directs the Syria Conflict Research Programme at the London School of Economics, expressed similar views. According to Ms Turkmani, her sister in Damascus reported that commercial establishments are shutting down, provisions are becoming scarce, and automated teller machines lack cash. Ms Turkmani conveyed to the BBC, “No one knows what’s happening.” Ms Shahla noted that Damascus has not experienced the same level of violence during Syria’s ten-year civil war, which has cultivated a perception of stability among some inhabitants. She remarked, “If any change is going to happen, it won’t be easy.” However, accounts indicate that a shift in momentum is already affecting the city’s outskirts, as rebel combatants, under the leadership of the opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are achieving significant territorial advances from the nation’s northern regions. An undisclosed US official informed CBS News, the BBC’s American affiliate, that Damascus seemed to be “falling suburb by suburb to the rebels.” The rebel forces themselves assert they have “encircled” the urban area. Visual recordings reportedly depicted a monument of President Bashar al-Assad’s deceased father, Hafez al-Assad, being toppled by demonstrators in the southern district of Jaramana. Syria’s official news agency alleged that “sleeper cells” were disseminating videos on social media from public locations within Damascus, implying their control over these areas “with the aim of spreading chaos among citizens.” Concurrently, the Syrian government refuted speculations that Assad had departed the city. Furthermore, the interior minister stated that a “very strong” military perimeter had been established around the capital. Nevertheless, government troops have conspicuously not offered comparable defenses in the cities, towns, and villages that have been captured by rebel factions. Rebel forces, spearheaded by the Islamist HTS group, have executed a rapid advance over the last two weeks following the initiation of an unexpected offensive, securing the north-western cities of Aleppo and Hama. On Saturday night, HTS declared it was reclaiming the strategically vital city of Homs and had liberated over 3,500 detainees from a military correctional facility in that location. Rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani reported that government forces were vacating the city, and a contingent of high-ranking officers were “coordinating with us to secure their defection.” Videos shared on social media purportedly displayed a motorcade of government troops departing Homs. However, Syria’s defense ministry maintained that reports “about terrorists entering the city of Homs is unfounded” and asserted that its forces possessed “strong defensive lines.” The advancements made by HTS have also incited an insurgency by allied rebel groups in the southern area of Daraa, who have seized control of portions of that region. These groups have advanced towards Damascus from the southern direction. The United Nations has announced its decision to recall “non-critical” personnel from Syria due to the developing circumstances. HTS has committed to safeguarding international entities functioning within the nation. The UN’s special envoy to Syria has urged for a structured transfer of authority, alongside “urgent political talks” aimed at enacting a Security Council resolution that seeks a negotiated transition between the Syrian government and its opposition. Addressing the situation in Doha on Saturday, Geir Pedersen noted that delegates from Iran, Russia, Turkey, the US, France, the UK, Germany, and the EU had conveyed their backing for a diplomatic settlement. Ms Shahla indicated that Damascus’s inhabitants hold varied opinions regarding a rebel takeover, yet they are preparing for the potential of armed confrontation in their immediate vicinity. Her family has stayed in Syria throughout the civil war, having not contemplated departure until this point. Although they are not currently planning to depart, she stated, “if things escalate in a dramatic way or a dangerous way, maybe we will think about it.” Additional reporting was provided by Jake Lapham. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.