Around 2,000 Syrian troops have crossed into Iraq and sought refuge, according to Turki Al-Mahlawi, the mayor of the Al-Qaim border town, who spoke to Reuters on Saturday. Some of the troops were reportedly wounded and are receiving medical treatment, he added.
As rebels launched a swift advance through Syria, they claimed to be closing in on Damascus by Saturday, though Bashar al-Assad’s government denied any withdrawal from areas surrounding the capital.
Rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani stated, “Our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital.”
The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, called on fighters to prepare to take control of Assad’s government seat, just over a week into a renewed rebellion in the long-standing conflict. In a statement on Telegram, he declared, “Damascus awaits you,” using his real name rather than his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
Syria’s defense ministry countered, asserting that government forces were “present in all areas of the Damascus countryside” and denied claims of withdrawal from positions near Damascus.
Meanwhile, in a Damascus suburb on Saturday, protesters toppled a statue of Syria’s late president Hafez al-Assad, who handed over the leadership to his son. Similar scenes were seen in Daraa and Hama, where residents set fire to a giant poster of President Assad at city hall.
The Syrian presidency denied reports that Assad had left Damascus, stating that he was “following up on his work and national and constitutional duties from the capital.”
In a CNN interview, HTS leader al-Sharaa reaffirmed that “the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime.”
As the government forces retreat in the face of the growing rebel offensive, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that rebels were within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of Damascus. The Observatory also confirmed that government forces had lost control of southern Daraa province, the cradle of the 2011 uprising.
The army stated it was “redeploying and repositioning” in Daraa and Sweida. The Observatory also reported evacuations from posts in Quneitra, near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, where Israel has increased its troop presence.
Amid escalating tensions, Jordan urged its citizens to leave Syria “as soon as possible,” and both Russia and the United States, which maintain military presence in Syria, also advised departures. After seizing Aleppo and Hama, HTS-led rebels took control of Daraa, according to the Observatory.
In Sweida city, a local fighter told AFP that after government forces withdrew, they were securing vital facilities. The government’s reinforcements in the central Homs area halted the rebel advance. By Friday, Syrian troops were also pulling out of Deir Ezzor in the east, with Kurdish-led forces reportedly moving in.
