Syria | Blow to al-Assad regime as rebels wrest control of Daraa; Homs under threat
Once home to more than 100,000 people, Daraa holds deep symbolic importance as the heart of the movement against Assad’s rule
In another setback to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule, Syrian rebels have wrested control of Daraa, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against him, marking a dramatic turn in the country’s prolonged civil war. In view of the situation, the Indian government had earlier issued a travel advisory advising Indian nationals to avoid travel to the strife-torn country.
Daraa has become the fourth major city to slip from government control in just a week. Rebel sources told news agency Reuters that the military agreed to make an orderly withdrawal from Daraa under a deal giving army officials safe passage to the capital Damascus, about 100 km north. Never in the war had Assad’s forces lost control of so many key cities in such a short duration.
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While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led rebel alliance, Daraa was taken by local armed groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“Local factions have taken control of more areas in Daraa province, including Daraa city... they now control more than 90 percent of the province, as regime forces successively pulled out,” the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources around Syria, said late Friday.
Once home to more than 100,000 people, Daraa holds deep symbolic importance as the heart of the movement against Assad’s rule.
Earlier, the Indian government on Friday issued a travel advisory for Syria, strongly advising Indian nationals to avoid all travel to the country until further notice. This warning comes in light of the situation prevailing in Syria, which poses significant risks to travellers.
“In view of the situation prevailing in Syria, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all travel to Syria, until further notification,” the ministry of external affairs said in a press release.
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The swift rebel advance has thrown Bashar al-Assad's government into crisis, threatening its hold on key regions, including the strategic city of Homs.
Syria's civil war, which began with Assad's crackdown on democracy protests, has killed more than 500,000 people and forced more than half the population to flee their homes.
