Fri Dec 06 09:42:45 UTC 2024: ## Thousands Flee Homs as Rebel Forces Advance in Syria
**Beirut, December 6, 2024** – Thousands of civilians fled the central Syrian city of Homs overnight as rebel forces, having already captured Aleppo and Hama, pressed their offensive southward. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported a mass exodus towards the government-held coastal regions beginning Thursday night. Residents confirmed the influx, citing fears of the rebels’ rapid advance.
The rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham has declared its intention to take Homs, a strategically important city connecting Damascus to the north and the coastal Assad strongholds. A rebel online post urged Homs residents to join their revolution.
Meanwhile, the conflict escalated further with Israeli airstrikes hitting two Lebanon-Syria border crossings Friday morning, according to Lebanon’s transport minister. Overnight, the Syrian army used Russian bombing to destroy the Rustan bridge on the M5 highway, a key route to Homs, in an attempt to halt the rebel advance. Government forces are reportedly reinforcing their positions around Homs. The ongoing conflict marks a significant escalation nearly 14 years after the start of the Syrian civil war.
First Piper 