Syrian insurgents have reached Damascus suburbs, their first advance near the capital since 2018, while Syrian state media deny rumours of Assad fleeing.
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00:00Syrian insurgents have reached the suburbs of the capital Damascus, opposition activists
00:08and a rebel commander said on Saturday.
00:11The insurgent commander posted on telegram that opposition forces are headed to Damascus
00:16from southern Syria.
00:19The advance comes less than a week after taking control of Syria's largest city Aleppo.
00:26In their lightning-fast offensive, the rebels managed to move south and capture Hama, before
00:31starting an advance on the city of Homs.
00:35On Saturday, insurgent fighters claim to have seized most of the country's south, as government
00:40forces withdrew there, sending large numbers of reinforcements to defend Homs.
00:46If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, President Assad's
00:51seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support.