Syria: State media dismisses claims of President Assad fleeing as rebels reach Damascus suburbs

According to a report by AFP, rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani, representing the alliance leading the offensive, stated, “Our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital, Damascus.”

Addressing rebel fighters on Telegram, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, known by his real name instead of his alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, said, “Damascus awaits you.”

Meanwhile, the group stated that it has a responsibility to ensure the safety of government, international, and UN offices in the country.

Despite these claims, the Syrian defense ministry rejected reports of its forces retreating from areas near the capital. “There is no truth to news claiming our armed forces, present in all areas of the Damascus countryside, have withdrawn,” the ministry stated.

Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) gesture in Deir al-Zor, after U.S.-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, the government’s main foothold in the vast desert, according to Syrian sources, in Syria December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman

Earlier, both a war monitor and Abdel Ghani reported that rebels had advanced to within 20 kilometers of Damascus as government forces struggled to resist the offensive’s momentum.

‘NOT OUR FIGHT’

Meanwhile, US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday stated that the US should avoid involvement in the ongoing conflict in Syria.

“Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Trump suggested that Russia, a key ally of Assad, is preoccupied with its war in Ukraine and “seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.”

He further noted that if Russia were to be forced out of Syria, it “may actually be the best thing that can happen to them” as “there was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia.”

UN up for Transition

The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for urgent discussions in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition” in Syria.

Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) a flag in Deir al-Zor, after U.S.-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, the government’s main foothold in the vast desert, according to Syrian sources, in Syria December 7, 2024. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman

Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, Pedersen explained that the talks in Switzerland would focus on implementing a UN resolution calling for a Syrian-led political process.

Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, outlined a plan for the establishment of a transitional governing body, the drafting of a new constitution, and the holding of UN-supervised elections.

Pedersen emphasised that the need for an orderly political transition “has never been more urgent” and highlighted that the situation in Syria is evolving by the minute.

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