UPDATE 2 - Armed groups enter southern suburbs of Damascus

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Anadolu staff

DAMASCUS (AA) – Armed groups opposed to Bashar al-Assad's regime began entering Damascus' southern suburbs on Saturday.

The armed groups advanced toward central Damascus after capturing the provincial center of Quneitra in the country's southwest, local sources said.

Fighting regime forces, the groups entered the Darayya suburb south of the capital.

A video purportedly taken in downtown Damascus shows Assad regime forces changing out of their military uniforms and into civilian clothes.

The footage also reveals that some regime army units stationed in central Damascus dispersed due to a breakdown in the command chain.

Regime forces were reported to have been driven out of Darayya, Al Kiswah, Sahnaya, Al Moadamyeh, and Horjelah, as well as the Druze-majority settlement of Jaramana, where Assad posters were burned and statues were toppled.

The opposition has seized control of the Dumayr, Saqba, Misraba, and Maarba areas of Damascus from regime forces.

Protests erupted in several neighborhoods of the capital. Regime-affiliated Shabbiha militias and security forces responded by opening fire on the protesters.

While the people are demanding regime elements leave their positions, opposition forces are pushing regime soldiers out of certain areas. Meanwhile, internet and power outages have been reported across Damascus.

Renewed fighting between regime forces and anti-regime groups broke out on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo.

By Nov. 30, opposition forces had taken control of most of Aleppo’s city center and established dominance across the Idlib province.

Following intense clashes, groups took control of the Hama city center from regime forces on Dec. 5.

Anti-regime groups also seized several settlements in the strategically important Homs province, which leads to Damascus, and began to advance.

On Friday, Syrian opposition groups took control of Daraa in southern Syria, near the Jordanian border.

Earlier on Saturday, they seized total control of the Suwayda province in southern Syria. On the same day, local opposition forces in Quneitra gained control of the provincial capital.

On Dec. 1, the opposition Syrian National Army launched Operation Dawn of Freedom against the terrorist group PKK/YPG in the Tel Rifaat district of Aleppo's countryside, liberating the area from terror elements.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​