Syrian rebels claim attempts to surround capital Damascus
The rebel chief claims that the “final phase” has begun (photo: Getty Images)
Armed rebels in Syria are attempting to encircle the capital Damascus. At the same time, the Syrian military denies the withdrawal of troops, according to CNN.
In particular, Hassan Abdulghani, who is a representative of the rebel coalition led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, said that the “final phase” of their operation to surround Damascus had begun.
In turn, CNN failed to verify this statement.
Meanwhile, the Syrian military denies the withdrawal of its troops from the Damascus area. They call the reports of their retreat a “false media campaign” by “armed terrorist organizations” with the aim of “spreading panic and fear among civilians in the Damascus countryside.”
Yesterday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad lost another town. Syrian Kurds captured the city of Deir ez-Zor.
Today it became known that Iran has begun evacuating its military command and personnel from Syria. This, in turn, according to Reuters, may indicate the impossibility of helping Assad retain power amid the rebel offensive.
Read more about what is happening in Syria in RBC-Ukraine's article.
