Opposition factions overrun government forces and take control of swathes of district outside the capital
Syrian opposition forces have begun to encircle the capital city of Damascus after a lightning offensive brought rebel factions to Bashar al-Assad’s doorstep and led the president’s office to deny he had already fled the country.Overnight, opposition factions in the southern provinces of Daraa and Sweida routed government forces and took control over wide swathes of the district. By the afternoon, opposition fighters had entered Daraya, about 5 miles from the centre of the capital.
The government in neighbouring Iraq said that 2,000 Syrian soldiers had fled across the border. Al Jazeera showed footage of Syrian tanks and other military vehicles packed with soldiers crossing into Iraq. Without significant Russian air support and Hezbollah reinforcements, Syrian army forces have seemingly melted away in the face of the advancing rebels.
“Instructions were issued to our groups not to engage them and to try to convince them to surrender in order to avoid bloodshed,” al-Mikdad said. In Damascus, residents described scenes of panic as uncertainty reigned over the fate of the Syrian government as rebels beat on the capital’s door.
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