The U.S.-backed Syrian rebel forces have seized the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor in the latest setback for President Bashar al-Assad. Iran-backed Syrian government forces are now withdrawing from the area, Reuters reports. “Syrian forces and their Iran-backed allies completely withdrew from areas they control in Deir Ezzor province and Kurdish forces are advancing towards their areas,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, who leads the war watchdog group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The rebels, led by the insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are also advancing on country’s third-largest city, Hom, one day after they seized control of Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city. HTS, which has been at the forefront of the assault, has vowed to march south toward Homs and ultimately Damascus, Assad‘s seat of power.
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03:19 PM EST
International involvement in the Syrian war
Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized Syrian Air Force fighter plane at the Hama military airport, Syria, Friday Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized Syrian Air Force fighter plane at the Hama military airport, Syria, Friday Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed/AP
The Syrian civil war became a battleground for international powers.
Russia
A long-time ally of the Assad regime, Russia began providing direct military support to Assad in 2015, including airstrikes and ground troops. Russia’s goal was to maintain its influence in the Middle East and secure its military presence in Syria.
Iran
Iran has supported Assad with military advisors, funding, and militias, seeing Syria as a key ally in its regional influence network.
United States
The U.S. initially supported the opposition with non-lethal aid and later provided military support to Kurdish forces in their fight against ISIS. In 2014, the U.S. led an international coalition to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Turkey
Turkey supported some opposition groups and later began military operations in northern Syria, mainly to curb Kurdish separatism and prevent Kurdish forces from gaining too much power on its border.
Israel
While Israel has not directly participated in the civil war, it has carried out airstrikes against Iranian and Hezbollah positions in Syria to prevent the buildup of hostile forces near its border.
02:56 PM EST
At least three dead in clash between Druze fighters and Syrian forces
At least three people have been killed in clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian forces, Reuters reports.
Fighting broke out in the southern Syrian city of Sweida where rebels took control of its main police station and its biggest civilian prison.
02:44 PM EST
A timeline of the Syrian civil war
The Syrian civil war began in 2011 as part of the wider Arab Spring protests, amid frustrations with Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
What began as protests to demand more political freedoms, escalated into a complex war involving multiple rebel groups and international forces.
2011: Outbreak of Protests
March: Protests in Daraa against Bashar al-Assad’s regime lead to violent government crackdown.
July: The Free Syrian Army (FSA) forms, marking the shift to armed rebellion.
2012: Full-Scale Civil War
Early 2012: The conflict escalates into full-scale civil war with widespread fighting between the government and rebel forces.
2013: Chemical Weapons Attack
August: A chemical weapons attack in Ghouta kills hundreds. The U.S. condemns the Assad regime.
2014: Rise of ISIS
June: ISIS declares a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, taking control of major areas, including Raqqa.
September: U.S.-led coalition begins airstrikes against ISIS.
2015: Russian Intervention
September: Russia begins airstrikes in support of Assad’s government.
2016: Battle for Aleppo
July–December: Intense fighting in Aleppo. The Syrian government retakes the city with Russian support.
2017: U.S. Strikes and Recapture of Territories
April: U.S. launches missile strikes on Syria in retaliation for a chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun.
November: The Syrian government recaptures most rebel-held areas.
2018: Continued Escalation
February–April: Major battles in Eastern Ghouta and Douma, with heavy casualties and alleged chemical attacks.
2019: Defeat of ISIS and Turkish Invasion
March: ISIS loses its last stronghold in Syria.
October: Turkey launches Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
2020–2021: Stalemate and Humanitarian Crisis
2020–2021: The conflict shifts to a stalemate with Syria largely controlled by the government, but the humanitarian crisis deepens.
2022–2024: Ongoing Tensions
2022: Syria regains much of the country, but tensions remain with Kurdish forces, foreign military presences, and regional players.
2023–2024: Fighting continues in some areas, especially in the northwest, while peace efforts remain stalled.
02:33 PM EST
Druze fighters join rebels in southern Syria
Rebels from Druze, an ethnoreligious minority group, have joined the uprising in southern Syria, CNN reports.
Two Druze groups, the Men of Dignity Movement and Mountain Brigade Gathering, joined the fight in as-Suwayda, a city near the Daraa province which has been the scene of rebel fighting on Friday.
Druze members have traditionally been against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and now their numbers will bolster opposition forces in their fight against it.
01:16 PM EST
Russian airstrikes destroys major bridge into Homs to slow rebel advance
Russia has bombed Syria’s Rustan Bridge in an attempt to slow rebel forces from entering Homs city, a Syrian army officer told Reuters.
Moscow launched multiple air strikes overnight on Thursday to destroy the bridge on the main route into the city.
“There were at least eight strikes on the bridge,” he added. Government forces were working to strengthen positions around Homs city with fresh reinforcements, the officer told Reuters.
01:00 PM EST
What role does Turkey play in the Syrian civil war?
A portrait of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is torn down in Aleppo on November 30, 2024. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies breached Syria’s second city in an insurgency against the Assad…
A portrait of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is torn down in Aleppo on November 30, 2024. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies breached Syria’s second city in an insurgency against the Assad regime.
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MOHAMMED AL-RIFAI/Getty Images
Key to any resolution of the hostilities is Turkey, which backs the Free Syrian Army fighting alongside HTS. “The attack could not have taken place without Turkey’s tacit approval,” Middle East analyst Avi Melamed told Newsweek.
During the Syrian civil war, Ankara established a zone of control in the north of the country via proxy forces based on Syrian rebel groups. Turkey has been unable to resolve the issue of Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria (Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria or AANES), which Ankara views as a direct threat due to groups there it deems to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The influx of Syrian refugees into Turkey has strained its economy and created a significant political challenge for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“The rebel successes present a renewed threat to Assad’s regime, which had stabilized its grip on parts of Syria in recent years,” said Melamed. “Turkey is likely to halt the rebels’ advance once the risks to its broader interests—particularly relations with Russia and the U.S.—outweigh the gains from this military campaign.”
12:34 PM EST
Iran will support Syria ‘with whatever is needed’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (not pictured) in Beirut on October 4, 2024.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (not pictured) in Beirut on October 4, 2024.
Fadel Itani/AFP via Getty Images
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran will support Syria “with whatever is needed” as rebel forces advance across the country, Agence France-Presse reports.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported Syria and will continue to do so with all its might and with whatever is needed and requested by the Syrian government,” Araghchi said today, in Baghdad.
12:24 PM EST
Iran points finger at US and Ukraine for Syrian rebels’ advances
An anti-government fighter shoots into the air in Hama, a day after rebels captured the central-west city, on December 6, 2024. On December 6, 2024, an Iranian official criticized Ukraine in their support for Syrian…
An anti-government fighter shoots into the air in Hama, a day after rebels captured the central-west city, on December 6, 2024. On December 6, 2024, an Iranian official criticized Ukraine in their support for Syrian rebel groups.
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MOHAMMED AL-RIFAI/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images
Iran has blamed the United States and Ukraine for recent advances made by Syrian rebels in a surprise offensive against the Syrian government.
On Friday, the Iranian-state affiliated Mehr News Agency reported that Mojtaba Damirchiloo, an aide to Iran’s foreign minister, criticized Ukraine and the U.S. for supporting “terrorism” in Syria.
In particular, the report outlined how the Iranian official condemned “the illegal trade of weapons received from the United States by some Ukrainian officials and Ukraine’s support for listed terrorist groups in Syria.”
Referencing the use of Takfiri—or foreign militant groups—to operate in Syria against the Assad regime, Damirchiloo condemned the deployment of these fighters, which he said was leading to the destabilization of the West Asia region. He described this approach as an unethical policy that violates established principles and norms of international law.
12:16 PM EST
Syrian fighters capture major army base in Daraa province
Syrian opposition fighters have captured one of the main army bases in the Daraa province, Reuters reports.
The insurgents overrun the Liwa 52 base, near the town of Herak, on Friday morning as fighting in Syria escalates.
Rebel sources also told Reuters they had seized the Nassib border crossing with Jordan.
12:09 PM EST
Death toll in Syria reaches 826 in rebel uprising, says watchdog
The conflict in Syria has killed 826 people since the huge rebel offensive began last week, according to a war watchdog.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK based organization which relies on sources in Syria, said the death toll included 111 civilians.
12:05 PM EST
Which countries support Syria’s rebel groups?
Syria is supported by Russia, which has a naval base in Tarus and provides airstrikes to assist Assad’s forces. Iran has a considerable military presence in the country and Iran-backed militias, notably from Iraq, have joined the ground fighting.
In response to the military setbacks, Syria’s defense minister, General Ali Mahmoud Abbas, insisted the withdrawal from Hama was a “tactical measure” and vowed to reclaim the lost territory.
Speaking in a televised address on Thursday, Abbas described the rebels as “takfiri”—a derogatory term for extremists—and accused them of being backed by foreign powers, a likely reference to Turkey and the U.S., both of which support opposition forces.
“We are in a strong position,” Abbas declared. “This is only a temporary setback, and we will regain control over Hama.”
The coalition leading the charge—HTS alongside the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army—has reignited the long-dormant conflict, challenging Assad’s forces in regions once considered firmly under government control.
11:55 AM EST
IN PICTURES: Insurgents takeover Hama
A series of pictures has captured the insurgent takeover of the Syrian city of Hama.
In one picture, Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized Syrian Air Force fighter plane at the Hama military airport.
An insurgent fires his AK-47 in the air in celebration of taking the city, in another.
In an image taken today, a poster of Syrian President Bashar Assad is seen riddled with bullets on the facade of the provincial government office in Hama.
Insurgent fighters celebrate in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of the city in downtown Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Insurgent fighters celebrate in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of the city in downtown Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Omar Albam/AP
Seized Syrian Air Force planes are seen in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of the city at the Hama military airport, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Seized Syrian Air Force planes are seen in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of the city at the Hama military airport, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed/AP
Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized Syrian Air Force fighter plane at the Hama military airport, Syria, Friday Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized Syrian Air Force fighter plane at the Hama military airport, Syria, Friday Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Ghaith Alsayed/AP
An image of Syrian President Bashar Assad, riddled with bullets, is seen on the facade of the provincial government office in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP…
An image of Syrian President Bashar Assad, riddled with bullets, is seen on the facade of the provincial government office in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
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Omar Albam/AP
An opposition fighter fires his AK-47 in the air in celebration in Hama, Syria, Friday Dec. 6, 2024.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
An opposition fighter fires his AK-47 in the air in celebration in Hama, Syria, Friday Dec. 6, 2024.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Omar Albam/AP
11:45 AM EST
How important is Homs to Syria?
Abandoned Syrian army armoured vehicles sit on a road as opposition fighters control the outskirts of Hama, Syria, December 3, 2024. They entered two central towns early on December 4, 202, just north of the…
Abandoned Syrian army armoured vehicles sit on a road as opposition fighters control the outskirts of Hama, Syria, December 3, 2024. They entered two central towns early on December 4, 202, just north of the city of Homs.
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Ghaith Alsayed/AP
Rami Abdurrahman, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)’s head, called the impending battle for Homs “the mother of all battles,” suggesting that it will be decisive in determining the future of Syria.
Pro-government media outlets confirmed the insurgents’ capture of Rastan and Talbiseh, reporting that the towns fell without significant resistance.
However, there was no immediate statement from the Syrian military regarding whether it had withdrawn from these locations.
Meanwhile, Syrian and Russian air forces launched strikes in Hama province, with state news agency SANA reporting that dozens of rebel fighters had been killed in the bombardment.
The attack comes in retaliation for the loss of Hama, a major blow to the government’s control over central Syria.
Opposition activists in Hama reported that following the fall of the city, thousands of Assad loyalists fled southward toward the capital and coastal regions, seeking refuge from the advancing rebel forces.
11:35 AM EST
Syrian rebel forces enter towns north of Homs
Syrian rebel forces have entered towns north of the country’s third largest city, Homs.
Spearheaded by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the insurgents have already captured the Aleppo, a city in the north, and the central city of Hama.
Their eventual aim is to take the Syrian capital of Damascus.
11:29 AM EST
Turkish President Erdogan says he hopes rebel advance in Syria will continue
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, May 13, 2024.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, May 13, 2024.
Burhan Ozbilici/AP Photo
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he hopes the rebel advance in Syria will continue.
“As of now, Idlib, Hama, Homs and the target is of course Damascus. This march of the opposition continues,” he told reporters outside a mosque in Istanbul.
“Our wish is that this march in Syria will continue without any accidents and troubles.”
11:18 AM EST
More than 280,000 people displaced in Syria since rebel offensive, UN warns
The United Nations emblem is seen in front of the United Nations Office (UNOG) on June 8, 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The United Nations emblem is seen in front of the United Nations Office (UNOG) on June 8, 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Johannes Simon/Getty Images
More than 280,000 people have been displaced in Syria since the huge rebel offensive this week, according to the United Nations.
Those figures could rise to 1.5 million as the fighting rapidly escalates, it warned.
UN World Food Program’s Samer AbdelJaber described the situation in Syria as “a crisis on top of another,” since the country’s civil war began in 2011.
11:09 AM EST
Russian embassy in Damascus warns its nationals to leave Syria
The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Damascus has called on Russian nationals to leave Syria as rebels warn “our destination is Damascus.”
The warning is an unusual move for Russia which remains a close ally of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad.
Амбасада Републике Србије у Дамаску позива све држављане Републике Србије да хитно напусте територију Сиријске Арапске Републике.
— Serbia in Syria (@SRBinSyria) December 6, 2024
10:57 AM EST
Can Russia still save Assad in Syria?
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, in Astana, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, in Astana, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
AP
Just when it seemed he had consolidated his position as Syrian president after the Arab Spring uprising and Islamic State land grabs, Bashar al-Assad‘s future hangs in the balance after a stunning advance by anti-regime forces, who seized control of key cities.
Assad, whose army is accused by international observers of committing atrocities since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, including chemical attacks, is heavily reliant on Russian military support to maintain his position and has been for several years.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing his own problems. His stretched army is advancing in Ukraine, but at huge cost in both men and materiel, and Russia is also struggling to expand its influence across Africa, where it has troops in action, too.
With Assad under renewed pressure and his army rapidly losing control to insurgents, and Putin’s war-weary economy pushed close to its limits, can Russia still save Syria’s president? Newsweek put the question to experts. Here’s what they said.
10:48 AM EST
Syrian rebels call on regime forces to defect as they warn, ‘our destination is Damascus’
The Syrian rebels have warned that they are heading for the county’s capital of Damascus.
“Our destination is Damascus, and our meeting point is the public square of Umayyads,” the Southern Operations Room rebels group, representing factions in southern Syria, told CNN.
They said they had already captured several government posts along the Jordan-Syria border, and urged government forces to defect now.
10:38 AM EST
Syrian opposition forces have reportedly seized the city of Deir ez-Zor
Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) flash the victory gesture next to their unfurled flag atop a roof at a position in the village of Baghouz in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province, near the…
Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) flash the victory gesture next to their unfurled flag atop a roof at a position in the village of Baghouz in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province, near the Iraqi border, on March 24, 2019.
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GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images
Syrian opposition forces have seized the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, Reuters reports.
Syrian government troops have now withdrawn from the parts of the city that were under their control
“Syrian forces and their Iran-backed allies completely withdrew from areas they control in Deir Ezzor province and Kurdish forces are advancing towards their areas,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
10:33 AM EST
Syrian government forces withdraw from al-Suwayda police headquarters
Syrian government forces have withdrawn from from police headquarters in the city of al-Suwayda, according to local reports.
Opposition fighters have given pro-government forces 24 hours to vacate al-Suwayda city.
Local news reports that those forces have now vacated the headquarters and left.
There have been reports of clashes across al-Suwayda and that the Military Intelligence Directorate headquarters has been surrounded.
عاجل: مراسل السويداء 24 يؤكد انسحاب عناصر الشرطة من مبنى قيادة الشرطة وسط مدينة السويداء وإخلاءه في هذه الأثناء تجاوباً مع تحذيرات الفصائل المحلية. pic.twitter.com/dZi0GsIsuG
— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) December 6, 2024
10:19 AM EST
Lebanon closes land border crossings with Syria
Lebanon has closed all its land border crossings with Syria except one, as Syrian rebels advance on a third city.
“Border crossings will be closed until further notice for the safety of travelers,” Lebanon’s security agency said in a statement.
They added that the only crossing that will be kept open is Masnaa, which links Beirut with the Syrian capital Damascus.
The announcement came hours after an Israeli airstrike damaged the al-Arida border crossing with Syria in north Lebanon.
10:13 AM EST
Syria’s border crossing with Iraq falls under rebel control
Syria’s border crossing with Iraq falls has been captured by rebels, Reuters reports.
The crossing, at the eastern city of Albu Kamal, was reportedly taken on Friday morning by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The crossing is a crucial transport route across the region.
10:06 AM EST
Thousands flee as Syrian rebels close in on city of Homs
Thousands of Kurdish families displaced from Aleppo and Tel Rifaat have ended up in temporary shelters and on the streets in Kurdish-controlled areas of Tabqa city, northern Syria, as rebel forces continue their advance into…
Thousands of Kurdish families displaced from Aleppo and Tel Rifaat have ended up in temporary shelters and on the streets in Kurdish-controlled areas of Tabqa city, northern Syria, as rebel forces continue their advance into key cities. December 4, 2024.
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Hogir El Abdo/AP
Thousands of people are fleeing their homes as Syrian opposition fighters advance on the city of Homs, according to a human rights group.
Rebels have already captured the Aleppo, a city in the north, and the central city of Hama, and are now closing in on Homs.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that thousands of Homs residents began leaving the city for Syria’s west coast on Thursday night.