Syrian Government Forces Have Withdrawn From Several Damascus Suburbs
Source: New York Times
Syrian government forces have withdrawn from several Damascus suburbs where opposition protests erupted on Saturday, according to war monitoring groups, the latest sign that President Bashar al-Assad was rapidly losing control over large parts of his country.
The British-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces had pulled out of a number of suburbs of the capital, including Moadamia al-Sham and Daraya, and the nearby Mezzeh military airport.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/07/world/syria-war-damascus
Underscoring the possibility of an uprising in the capital, protesters took to the streets in several Damascus suburbs, ripping up Assad posters and tearing down a statue of his father, former President Hafez al-Assad, uncontested by army or police. Some were joined by soldiers who had changed into civilian clothes and deserted, residents said.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-rebels-seize-fourth-city-close-homs-threat-assads-rule-2024-12-07/