Rebels in Homs
Syria: Assad’s days may soon be numbered
The rapid advance of the rebels in Syria indicates that the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad could fall within the next week. According to their own statements, the rebels have meanwhile captured the central prison in the city of Homs and freed hundreds of inmates. Activists confirm that the government troops have withdrawn from the city.
The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel-Rahman, told dpa that the government troops had withdrawn from the city. Syrian military sources said that the armed forces were repositioning themselves around the city of Homs. Syria's third largest city is located between Aleppo in the north and the capital Damascus in the south.
Assad could be toppled within days
It is also located in a strategically important position between the strongholds of President Bashar al-Assad's government on the coast and Damascus. It is therefore likely to become increasingly difficult for Assad to turn the tide.
The lightning advance of the rebels in Syria indicates that the Syrian government around Assad could fall within the next week. This is what government circles from the USA and other Western countries told Reuters on Saturday evening.
Concerns about the use of chemical weapons
According to human rights organizations, Assad's government has used chemical weapons against its own population several times during the civil war, which has been going on since 2011. However, Assad has not complied with a pledge made under international pressure to destroy his arsenal.
In view of the rapid progress of the rebel offensive in recent days, there is growing international concern that chemical weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.
The leading rebel group in the offensive against the Syrian government has now announced that it will rule out the use of chemical weapons. The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) said in a statement that it wanted to assure the international community that it would deal responsibly with the Syrian government's chemical weapons arsenal. However, it is unclear whether the Islamists' assurances can be trusted.
Political solution required
Five Arab countries as well as Iran, Turkey and Russia wrote in a joint statement that a political solution was needed to end the military operations in Syria and protect the civilian population.
The crisis is a threat to regional and international security, according to the statement published by the countries' foreign ministers following a meeting in Doha. In addition to Iran, Turkey and Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq are among the signatories.
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