SYRIAN REBELS CONTINUE TO ADVANCE TOWARDS HOMS DESPITE RUSSIAN SUPPORT

The support of the Russian air force stationed in Syria has not managed to stop the rebel forces fighting the Damascus regime, which after occupying Aleppo and Hama are now heading towards the holy city of Homs.

Thousands of people are fleeing Homs in view of the imminent entry of the HTS (Hayat al Tahrir) rebels led by the former member of Al Qaeda, Al-Juliani, although in Damascus he is presumed dead in a bombing by the Russian air force. This information has not been able to be officially confirmed.

The fragility of the Syrian armed forces is surprising, as they have only retreated since the loss of Aleppo. Nor is it known how many militias have joined the HTS, the main rebel group, which has several thousand followers.

Homs is a city located in the west of the country and is the third most important city in Syria. In Damascus, the press claimed that it would be defended with all the resources of the forces loyal to President Bashir Al Assad, but the truth is that the rebel outposts are already 5 km from that city.

The Syrian army has the support of a group of Hezbollah fighters who were in Syria and who are participating in the fighting. But for the moment, it is the rebels who are advancing.

If Russia allows the HTS rebels to enter Damascus, it will be a defeat for Moscow's interests, which have two bases in Syrian territory. Meanwhile, the entry of rebel forces into Hama was received with applause and favorable cries from a part of the population, eyewitnesses say.

The coalition established between Damascus and Moscow is not giving the results expected by both parties. And this is one of the surprises of this new conflict in the Middle East.