Syrian rebel forces were approaching Homs, the country's third-largest city, on Friday, a human rights group monitoring the war reported, raising fears that the country's capital, Damascus, would be cut off from areas coastal areas which are a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. .
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of sources on the ground to closely monitor the war since it began in 2011, said rebel forces had not It was estimated that about five kilometers from the city and that regime soldiers had withdrawn from a number of nearby towns and villages in response to their advance.
The SOHR said Assad's forces carried out airstrikes on water infrastructure in a nearby town and on a highway, but no casualties were reported.
What is happening with the war in Syria?
Thousands of people were fleeing the region amid the dramatic escalation of the civil war, which had simmered for years without major progress on either side until the the rebels launched a shock offensive about two weeks ago
The rebels took full control of another town, Hama, and about a week later launched a large raid into the north of the country. The first major victory of their offensive was taking control of Aleppo a week ago, which has long been Syria's second most populous city.
Their sudden advance surprised many observing the long-simmering conflict, and SOHR says more than 820 people have been killed since the conflict began, including more than 100 civilians.
Syrian rebels say goal 'remains the overthrow' of Assad
Syria's war began in 2011 when a pro-democracy uprising calling for an end to Assad's long rule quickly turned into a brutal civil war. Since then, the conflict has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced some 12 million people from their homes.
The war appears to have stopped after Assad's government regained control of many cities with help from Russia and Iran, in addition to the powerful Iranian-mandated group Hezbollah in Lebanon . Parts of the country's north and east remained under the control of Kurdish-led, US-backed rebel groups. The current offensive, however, is largely led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), which has attempted to publicly distance itself from its jihadist roots as a regional branch of al-Qaeda.
With other conflicts currently occupying Assad's supporters Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, rebel forces reportedly saw an opportunity to resume their fight against his army.
The HTS leader told CNN in a recent interview that the goal of the offensive is to remove Assad from power.
“When we talk about goals, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime,” Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani told CNN. “The seeds of the regime's defeat were always within him… The Iranians tried to revive the regime, buying it time, and later the Russians also tried to support it. But the truth remains: This regime is dead.”
Syrian rebel offensive worsens humanitarian crisis
Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the recent fighting, many heading towards Raqqa province, controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
CBS News
Despite an agreement to allow safe passage for those fleeing Aleppo province, SDF sources told CBS News that more than 120 vehicles carrying hundreds of civilians were attacked by different Syrian Islamist groups during their journey . Local authorities say the humanitarian situation for those arriving in safe areas is dire.
Some 136 schools in Raqqa and 63 schools in Tabqqa town have been transformed into makeshift shelters for displaced people. Raqqa Stadium, which once served as a prison for IS militants when they controlled the territory, has also been transformed into a camp to provide displaced civilians with shelter from the cold.
“The situation is catastrophic,” Zhwan Mullah, a member of the local crisis response team, told CBS News. “The number of displaced people is far greater than we can help. So far, support from the UN and NGOs has been very insignificant.”
Saeed Muhammad Hassan, 53, fled to Raqqa from near Aleppo. Along the way, he was separated from his wife, Sabah. Hassan, like a growing number of civilians who were separated from loved ones as they evacuated from fighting-affected areas, contacted local radio stations to appeal to find Sabah.
“Many people are contacting us through different channels, looking for missing family members who have remained silent on the way to safety,” Sirwan Haji Birko, director of ARTA FM radio, told CBS News. “We try to help find missing people as much as possible, on the radio and on our social media platforms.”
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