They are less than 20 kilometers away from the capital Damascus.
The Syrian rebels reported on Saturday that they are less than 20 kilometers from the southern edge of the Damascus metropolis. Earlier, the rebels announced the conquest of the entire territory of the southern Syrian province of Dara, located near the border with Israel. Referring to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), AFP reported about it.
The rebels claim that they have also captured the city of Kunajtra, which is located in the foothills of the Golan Heights and near the border with Israel. An unnamed officer of the Syrian government army confirmed to Reuters the withdrawal of government troops from Kunajtra.
According to pan-Arab television Al Jazeera, Syrian troops have begun withdrawing from the key T-4 airbase near the city of Palmyra in Homs province, another target of the rebel offensive. The T-4 base, also known as Tijas, is one of two major airports – the other being Damascus International Airport – where Iranian cargo airlines carrying weapons for the pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon frequently land.
Israel has carried out several attacks on this base in recent years. Indeed, Israeli military officials claim that Iran is using it as part of its efforts to gain a military foothold in Syria, which Israel is determined to prevent. A source close to the Hezbollah movement announced on Saturday that about 2,000 fighters of the movement had been sent to the area around the city of Qusayr in the province of Homs, near the border with Lebanon. Their job is to defend their positions. They are not yet to be involved in fighting with the insurgents, AFP reported, citing a source who did not wish to be named.
