Free Syrian Army seizes Tadmur in eastern Homs province PHOTO / VIDEO / UPDATED

The US-backed Syrian Free Army has established control over the Palmyra district in eastern Homs province following intense clashes with regime forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. 

The Syrian Free Army – an armed opposition group operating in the Tanf area at the intersection of Iraq, Syria, and Jordan with US support – has secured key gains against Assad's forces in eastern Homs, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The opposition groups have also reportedly taken control of the town of Sukhnah, located between Homs and Deir ez-Zor, as well as the settlement of Qaryatayn and the strategic area surrounding Mount Gurab, situated along the Palmyra-Damascus road.

These recent successes mark a significant blow to regime forces as the opposition continues to push into strategically important regions.

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On December 7, the provincial centre of Suwayda in southern Syria has come under the control of opposition groups.

Opposition groups in the southern province of Suwayda, where the majority of the population are Druze, have taken control of the provincial capital, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

Opposition groups from Suwayda demanded the withdrawal of the Syrian army from the province during a meeting with Assad's administration yesterday.

The groups have given the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 24 hours to leave the city.

On December 6, 2024, military opposition groups took control of Daraa, a key city near the Jordanian border in southern Syria, following intense clashes with forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. 

The opposition forces advanced by capturing several settlements and military positions in rural areas, ultimately taking control of the provincial capital, Daraa City, after fierce fighting, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Daraa holds a significant place in Syria’s history as the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against Assad’s regime. The unrest began in Daraa on March 15, 2011, when a group of students wrote anti-regime slogans on a school wall, sparking widespread protests that later ignited the Syrian Civil War. The protests initially called for political reforms and greater freedoms but were met with violent repression by Assad's forces.

From 2012 to 2018, Daraa was largely controlled by opposition groups. However, with the backing of Russian military support and Iranian-backed militias, the regime regained control after launching a ground offensive in June 2018. By July 2018, Assad’s forces declared victory, and the city of Daraa was returned to regime control, resulting in the displacement of thousands of opposition fighters and their families to northern Syria.