News
2005
U/A 16+
Syrian opposition forces claim to have taken control of Daraa city in southwestern Syria, inching closer to the capital Damascus.Rebel factions representing the Druze sect in Daraa’s neighboring city of as-Suwayda also launched an offensive against Syrian regime forces there.Syria’s army said it is “redeploying” outside of the two southern cities after “terrorists” attacked military checkpoints.“Our forces operating in Daraa and as-Suwayda implemented a redeployment, repositioning and established a strong and cohesive defensive and security cordon in that direction,” the regime’s military said in a statement.The rebels are battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces from two directions; the north and the south, in an attempt to close in on Damascus. Daraa is where the Syrian uprising started in 2011.The southern factions are different from factions in the north led by the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who have already taken two major cities during their offensive that started over a week ago. Still, those groups aim for the same goal, which is toppling Assad.Show more