Poland monitors situation in Syria

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Poland is closely monitoring the dynamic situation in Syria, the country’s foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

"Our mission in Syria and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are closely monitoring the situation, which is very dynamic,” Pawel Wronski told state-run PAP news agency.

Wronski added that developments in Syria have taken a rather surprising turn and that the situation may now be heading toward some form of calmness with the departure of Assad.

Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak also commented on the matter, stating on X, “Polish intelligence services, the Intelligence Agency, and the Military Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, as well as NATO allies and partners from the European Union, are closely monitoring and analyzing the events in Syria from the point of view of the interests of Poland and Polish citizens residing in the Middle East.”

- Developments in Syria

Clashes between Assad regime forces and anti-regime groups broke out on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

On Nov. 30, anti-regime forces captured most of Aleppo’s center and took full control of Idlib province. By Thursday, after fierce clashes, they seized the city center of Hama.

The opposition groups also advanced in Homs, a strategically crucial province leading to Damascus, capturing key settlements.

In Daraa province near the Jordanian border, opposition forces launched an operation on Friday, regaining control of the city center. The same day, they captured Suwayda province in the south and the provincial center of Quneitra.

By Saturday, anti-regime groups had taken Homs' provincial center and started advancing into Damascus' southern suburbs. Regime forces withdrew from key locations, including the Defense and Interior ministries and Damascus International Airport.

By Sunday morning, the Assad regime had lost all control over the capital.

In ‘Operation Dawn of Freedom,’ launched on Dec. 1, the opposition Syrian National Army liberated the Tel Rifaat district center from the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in rural Aleppo.