New Delhi: Syrian militants on Friday they had entered towns north of the country’s third-largest city, Homs as they advanced along a highway that ultimately leads to the capital, Damascus.
According to, militants led by the group Hayat Tahrir alam (HTS) early on Saturday seized control of the southern city of Daraa, near Jordan, negotiating a deal with the army for safe passage to Damascus for an orderly withdrawal of the army.
Daraa City holds both strategic and symbolic significance. It serves as a provincial capital and is located close to the main crossings on the Jordanian border. Jordan’s minister stated that the country had closed its side of the border due to “the surrounding security conditions Syria’s,” according the BBC.
Militants took control of the city of Hama on Thursday advancing southward. The group quickly captured two strategic towns along the route south of Hama and reached Al-Dar al-Kera, a town located just miles from the center of Homs.
The capture of Homs would sever the link between Damascus and the coast, which is a stronghold of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, where Russian allies maintain a naval base and an air base.
The United Nations has estimated that 370,000 people have been displaced as a result of the ongoing offensive. The organization has cautioned that the fighting is also “worsening an already situation for civilians in the north of the country.” Some civilians remain trapped in front-line areas, unable to reach safer locations.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (HR), the UK-based monitoring group, reported that thousands of individuals began fleeing from Homs on Thursday night towards the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government.
In a statement to reporters outside a mosque in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for the insurgency. had previously proposed “discuss the future of Syria” alongside Assad, stating, “but we received no response.”
He remarked, “Idlib, Hama, Homs, and subsequently most likely Damascus… we hope this march in Syria will proceed without any issues The foreign ministers of Turkey Iran, and Russia are anticipated to convene tomorrow on the of a forum in Doha for an urgent discussion regarding Syria.
Concurrently, the Ministry of External Affairs has advised all Indian nationals to refrain from travelling to Syria. They have urged Indians currently in Syria to maintain communication with the Indian Embassy in Damascus via their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also available on WhatsApp and email ID hoc.damascus@mea.in for updates.
Furthermore, individuals who are able to depart are encouraged to utilize the earliest available commercial flights, while others are advised to take precautions their safety and limit their movement as much as. An External spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that they are closely the in Northern Syria, noting that there are 19 Indian nationals as as several Indians working with UN organizations. The Indian embassy remains in regular contact with these nationals to ensure their safety and security.