As rebel fighters entered Damascus, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane and left for an unknown destination. The move by Damascus comes hours after rebel fighters stormed the strategic Syrian city of Homs.
What is the current state of the war? By moving into Damascus, the rebels aim to deal a serious blow to the Assad government as it now controls only 3 of the 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. Last week’s advance was the biggest in recent years.
How did the crisis begin? Rebel forces have been kept at bay for more than a decade with military support from Iran and Russia. However, al-Assad faced a surprise attack launched from the northwest of the country. His government began withdrawing its military commanders and staff from Syria on Friday, without much military defense or support from the country’s strongest ally, Iran.
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