Syrian Military Refutes Claims of Withdrawal in Rural Damascus Amid Rebel Progress
Click to start listening
Damascus, Dec 7 (NationPress) Syria's Defense Ministry on Saturday refuted claims that army forces had pulled back from the rural areas surrounding Damascus, stating that such claims are part of a disinformation strategy designed to induce panic.
The Syrian army has confirmed that it remains in full deployment across rural Damascus and is prepared to counter any form of terrorist aggression, according to the ministry, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
This denial follows numerous reports suggesting that government troops have retreated from various positions in southern provinces, including Quneitra and Daraa, which are close to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, as well as Sweida.
Reports indicate that rebels in Daraa have advanced to within 20 km of the capital, Damascus, after capturing numerous military posts and convincing some government units to either surrender or defect. Late on Friday, opposition fighters asserted control over Daraa city, which is the provincial capital.
In Sweida, local armed groups have released prisoners who were not involved in serious crimes, with ongoing negotiations regarding the withdrawal of government forces from military intelligence divisions, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring organization.
These events illustrate the intensifying conflict between government forces and rebel groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, vying for territorial advantage since November 27.
