News / Brèves Back to previous selection / Retour à la sélection précédente Syrian Rebels Are Withdrawing From Homs: A Major Victory for the al-Assad Regime 16 July 2013 (EIRNS)—The Times of London reported on July 13 that the opposition-held areas in and around Homs, the nation’s third-largest city located in central Syria, are about to fall into the hands of the Syrian Army. Reports indicate that the rebels are withdrawing. "There are not enough rebels to defend the city and the regime is shelling heavily. The regime is making progress and is moving to regain the city," Khaled, an opposition activist in Beirut who is in daily contact with rebel forces in Syria, was quoted by the Times. A European diplomat in contact with both sides confirmed to the Times that the rebels were planning to withdraw from Homs. Gaining control of the city of Homs is of special importance for the al-Assad regime, since Homs had remained virtually under total control of the rebels since the outbreak of the two-year-old war designed to remove the Assad regime. The war was joined by the terrorists from outside of Syria and was funded and armed by the Britain-French-Qatar-Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Terrorists were brought in from all over Arabia and Maghreb Africa, and pushed into Syria through Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. The control of Homs will strengthen the Syrian Army’s grip on the route linking Damascus to the Mediterranean coast. The rebels are apparently withdrawing to areas in the north and around the capital, the Times reported. In order to take control of the city of Homs, the Syrian regime had launched an offensive in late June when it started pushing the rebels out of Khaldiya and Old City districts of Homs. The assault on the remaining rebel strongholds in Homs followed a 17-day offensive against Qusayr. During the final clashes in Qusayr, it appeared as though the Syrian regime would entrap the rebels and prevent their withdrawal. However, the Army allowed the rebels a negotiated withdrawal. The fall of Qusayr ensured cutting off of the supply line to the rebels that ran through Lebanon. After Qusayr, the next objective of the Syrian Army was to push the rebels out of Tal Kalakh. It fell to the Syrian Army a few days ago, leaving the rebels with few strongholds in the province of Homs. Now, the Army is moving into the city of Homs and the rebels have begun to withdraw. [RMA]