Syrian state media have said that claims of explosions at General Staff headquarters in Damascus were “lies” that had been shared to cause panic among civilians, as opposition fighters advance on a third city. The rebels, led by the insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are advancing on country’s third-largest city, Hom, one day after the fighters seized control of Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city. Clashes have been reported in central al-Suwayda, local reports that the Military Intelligence Directorate headquarters are surrounded. HTS, which has been at the forefront of the assault, has vowed to march south toward Homs and ultimately Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad’s seat of power.
Follow Newsweek’s live blog for updates.
Thousands flee as Syrian rebels close in on city of Homs
Thousands of people are fleeing their homes as Syrian opposition fighters advance on the city of Homs, according to a human rights group.
Rebels have already captured the Aleppo, a city in the north, and the central city of Hama, and are now closing in on Homs.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that thousands of Homs residents began leaving the city for Syria’s west coast on Thursday night.
