By Anadolu staff
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (AA) - Anti-regime armed groups in Syria are entering the center of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, which was occupied by the terror group PKK/YPG as it tries to gain territory amid the Assad regime’s collapse, local sources told Anadolu on Sunday.
On Friday, the collapsing regime's army withdrew some of its forces stationed in Deir ez-Zor, an eastern province bordering Iraq, leaving the provincial center under the occupation of the terrorist group PKK/YPG.
- Terrorist PKK/YPG seeks to exploit power vacuum
Amid setbacks for the Assad regime since the conflict in Syria reignited on Nov. 27, leading on Sunday to the regime’s dramatic collapse, the terrorist PKK/YPG is seeking to exploit the power vacuum.
In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.
The YPG is the PKK's offshoot in Syria, an area where for years the group has tried to establish a terrorist corridor along the Turkish border.
In recent years Türkiye has deployed troops and worked with local allies such as the opposition Syrian National Army to prevent this and keep locals safe from terrorist oppression.
- Road to collapse
Clashes broke out between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.
On Nov. 30, anti-regime groups took control of most of the center of Aleppo from regime forces, and on the same day, they gained control over the entire Idlib province. Last Thursday, after fierce clashes, the groups took the city center of Hama from regime forces.
Anti-regime groups captured some settlements in the strategically important province of Homs, a gateway to the capital Damascus, and started to advance there.
On Friday, armed opposition groups launched an operation in the Daraa province on Syria's border with Jordan and after clashes, recaptured the city center from the regime forces.
On Saturday, the entire province of Suwayda in southern Syria also came under the control of opposition groups. On the same day, local opposition groups in Quneitra also took control of the provincial center.
In the province of Homs, which leads to the capital, on Saturday anti-regime forces took control of the provincial center.
Groups advancing against Assad regime forces entered the southern suburbs of Damascus later on Saturday. Regime forces also withdrew from the Defense and Interior ministries and the international airport in Damascus.
As anti-regime armed groups started to dominate the capital, the Assad regime on Sunday morning quickly lost all control of Damascus.
Separately, in Operation Dawn of Freedom launched by the opposition Syrian National Army against the terrorist organization PKK/YPG in rural areas of Aleppo on Dec.1, the Tel Rifaat district center was liberated from terrorism.
*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul