Within approximately one week, Syrian rebels who have captured several important towns claimed on the 7th that they have begun to encircle the capital, Damascus. Meanwhile, the government forces deny that they have retreated from areas near the capital.
Opposition military commander Hassan Abdul Ghani and the offensive's organizers, 'Sham Liberation Organization' stated: "Our forces have started to encircle the capital, Damascus."
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, stated that government forces have lost more key positions, including control of the entire southern Daraa province.
Meanwhile, government forces are also striving to defend the central city of Homs, resisting rebel advances.
To prevent the rebels from using Homs as a springboard to attack Damascus, the observatory states that the government has dispatched "a large number of reinforcement troops" and has hindered the rebels' advancement.
'Sham Liberation Organization' posted on social media Telegram on the 6th that they have "liberated" the last village in the outskirts of Homs city and would soon capture Homs.
Within nearly a week, opposition forces and extremist groups have successively captured major northern city Aleppo and the fourth largest city, Hama. The situation in the southern Daraa province and eastern Deir ez-Zor province is also critical.
Since November 27th, Syrian government forces and opposition militaries as well as extremist groups have been engaged in large-scale fighting in the northwest of Syria, causing a sudden escalation in the situation.