Syrian anti-government rebels have pushed into the city of Homs today, as they gain new ground in a fresh offensive against President Bashar al-Assad. If you're just joining us, here are some key details to catch you up this evening.

• Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Homs, external amid reports from that rebels are closing in on the city, Syria's third-largest

• The leader of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said their aim is to overthrow Syrian President Assad

• Reports suggest the US-backed and Kurdish-led militia group, the Syrian Democratic Forces, have also made significant advances, seizing control of Deir al-Zour, a large city in the east of Syria, and a border crossing between Syria and Iran

• “The rebels’ advance has been swift and astonishing, redrawing lines in the 13-year-old civil war,” writes BBC’s Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega

Dima Babilie
BBC Arabic

The mood in Damascus is extremely tense as opposition forces eye a significant breakthrough. Residents describe an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, with many rushing to stock up on essentials as prices skyrocket.

"I bought a cooking gas cylinder today for 1.2 million Syrian liras (£72)," one resident tells me. "Yesterday, it cost just 160,000 liras. Now I hear it’s not even easy to find anymore."

Eyad, another resident, describes his anxiety: "Tension is everywhere; it suddenly feels very real for everyone. Even my pack of cigarettes increased in price every single time I bought it since yesterday—increased three times in 24 hours."

Ali, a 27-year-old MBA student at the University of Damascus, reflected on the challenges: "We’ve had our issues here before—lack of electricity, fuel shortages—but it’s still better than having a designated terrorist rule our city. I feel stressed, definitely, but what can I do?"

As uncertainty looms over the capital, the people of Damascus are bracing themselves for what comes next.

Image source, EPA

Rebel commander of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Hassan Abdul Ghani, says his fighters are heading to Damascus, as he issued a warning to the military and Syria's defence minister.

"We’re heading for Damascus," he says in a video shared on X.

"We truly urge the remainder of the regime’s soldiers and the defence minister - dissent," Adbul Ghani says, adding: "we’re coming for you".

A Christian priest in the Syrian port city of Latakia tells the BBC he is "astonished" at the advance of rebel forces.

Speaking to Newshour, Father Fadi Azar says Christian families in the city are “afraid”, adding more than 50 families had fled to the government stronghold from Aleppo.

"They left because they are afraid,” Azar says. “They escaped from the fighting, also they are afraid of what's going to happen...to force their women to wear the veil or to pay Jizya, they are afraid of that."

"We are astonished. We are surprised. It's amazing, you know, how fast they took these cities and how the Syrian army they just handed [it] on like that,” he adds.

Sebastian Usher
Middle East regional editor

Image source, Reuters

The momentum in Syria against President Assad appears to be growing across the country, as long subdued but never entirely submissive regions are rising up in areas from where government forces have either been redeployed in order to bolster defences on the highway to Damascus - or state military control is relatively light.

Security sources in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour say the Kurdish-led forces there have seized full control after government forces were moved from the western side of the city where they held sway. It's a sign of how overstretched and exposed the Syrian military appears to be.

The Kurdish-led forces, known as the SDF, are backed by the US. They played a vital role in the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria.

But they are regarded by Turkey as nothing more than an offshoot of the PKK, the Kurdish separatist movement that the Turkish authorities have been fighting for many years.

New gains by the SDF could re-ignite another element of Syria's complex series of battlefronts, which have been relatively dormant for several years.

As far as the fate of President Assad is concerned, there may be no immediate threat to him from the SDF, but images of opposition fighters celebrating the capture of government-controlled territory in Deir al-Zour seem likely to further inspire similar moves in other parts of Syria.

Armed groups have seized control of a border crossing with Jordan from government forces on Friday, a war monitor says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports "local factions took control of the Nasib border crossing" in southern Syria, after regime troops withdrew.

"They also withdrew from several checkpoints and military units near the crossing on the Syrian-Jordanian border," the war monitor adds.

A little earlier we reported the Jordanian interior ministry had announced it would shut down the border because of the "surrounding security conditions" in Syria.

Now back to the east of Syria, we're starting to get reports that a separate rebel group - the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - has seized control of a border crossing between Syria and Iraq.

As reported by Reuters news agency, two Syrian army sources have said the Albu Kamal crossing between the two Middle Eastern countries has fallen to SDF.

The Kurdish-led forces are said to have made significant advances in the past few hours, with reports suggesting they have also seized the eastern Syrian town of Deir al-Zour, around 152km (94 miles) north of the Iraq-Syria crossing.

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, rebel forces in Syria launched the largest offensive against the Syrian government in years last week. They've since taken control of large parts of the country's second largest city, Aleppo, and Hama - now they're 1km away from another major city, Homs. The Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is leading the offensive and the group has a long and involved history in the Syrian conflict.

Who are HTS?

The group was set up under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011 as a direct affiliate of al-Qaeda.

The leader of the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was also involved in its formation.

It was regarded as one of the most effective and deadly of the groups ranged against President Bashar al-Assad.

But its jihadist ideology appeared to be its driving force rather than revolutionary zeal - and it was seen at the time as at odds with the main rebel coalition under the banner of Free Syria.

And in 2016, the group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, publicly broke ranks with Al Qaeda, dissolved Jabhat al-Nusra and set up a new organisation, which took the name Hayat Tahrir al-Sham when it merged with several other similar groups a year later.

In the last few minutes, two security sources told Reuters news agency that Kurdish-led forces have seized control of Deir al-Zour, in the east of Syria.

It comes mere hours after a war monitor said Syrian government troops and their Iranian allies had "suddenly" pulled out of the eastern Syrian city.

Syrian Observatory of Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP news agency the troops' departure came as rebel forces rapidly advanced in the area.

"Syrian regime forces and commanders of Iran-backed allied groups suddenly withdrew from Deir al-Zour city and its countryside with columns of soldiers heading towards the central Palmyra region," Rahman says.

Israel has issued a stern warning to its neighbours in the region, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) saying it has strengthened "the air and ground forces in the Golan Heights area".

"The IDF is following the events and is prepared for any scenario in attack and defence," the military says, adding that it "will not allow a threat near Israel’s border, and will work to thwart any threat to the citizens of the state of Israel".

Jordan's interior ministry confirms that it has ordered the closure of the country's border with Syria.

Interior minister Mazen al-Faraya says the closure of the Jaber border crossing, which is opposite the Syrian Nassib crossing, is "a result of the surrounding security conditions in Syria's south".

The Nassib crossing is the main passenger and commercial border crossing between the two countries.

Sebastian Usher
Middle East regional editor

The speed with which the status quo in Syria - however unresolved and unsatisfactory - has been turned on its head in recent days has been extraordinary.

Syrian government officials and supporters were still asserting the army would hold the line at Hama, even as insurgent fighters were entering the city.

Shortly afterwards, the Syrian military acknowledged that it had pulled out of Hama, ceding control of the city for the first time to rebel factions.

After capturing two major cities within a week, the next target for the insurgents led by the Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is Homs.

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing the city in anticipation of what looks likely to be the next major battle.

The stakes have risen precipitously for President Bashar al-Assad and his key backers, Russia and Iran.

Homs is strategically considerably more significant than either Aleppo or Hama. It straddles a crossroads that leads west to the heartland of support for the Assad dynasty and south towards the capital, Damascus.

• Analysis: Damascus now in Syrian rebels' crosshairs

The United States was "caught unaware" by the rapid advance of Syrian rebel forces, according to former ambassador James Jeffries.

"We were caught unaware. You only have so much in terms of intelligence assets... and we basically prioritise," he tells Reuters news agency.

Jeffries, who was the US representative to the Coalition to Defeat Islamic State under Donald Trump's previous administration, says the latest developments in Syria have everyone involved in the region concerned.

"Such a dramatic change in the balance of power in Syria makes everybody nervous because everybody has a chunk of Syria," he adds.

BBC Monitoring

Image source, Reuters

A coalition of rebel groups led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist militant group, now controls Syria's second largest city Aleppo. It is threatening to grab further territory and push towards Damascus – but why is this happening now?

The rebels launched their offensive in northern Syria on 27 November, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the war between Israel and Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, supported by Russian air strikes, have so far not offered effective resistance, raising questions about the Damascus government's capacity to act.

Both Iran-backed Hezbollah and Russia, crucial backers of Assad's government, have recently been mired in their own conflicts. Hezbollah's current weakened state after Israel’s ground offensive and air strikes this year may have emboldened HTS.

After years of being locked behind frozen frontlines, Syria's militants, now better equipped and organised, moved rapidly to capture strategic towns and cities from the government. Seizing control of Hama on Thursday, they are now at the gates of Homs in western Syria, which borders Lebanon.

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of the HTS rebel alliance, says the goal of the offensive is to overthrow Assad's rule.

Syria’s civil war began in 2011 after Assad's brutal crackdown on democracy protests.

Separately, Turkish-backed groups have launched operations against largely Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria, which is in line with Ankara's long-communicated desire to move against Kurdish forces there and to control a swathe of land south of its border as a security buffer zone.

Verified footage shows rebels approaching Homspublished at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December

12:59 GMT 6 December

Image source, X

By Matt Murphy

Rebel forces have continued their advance across Syria this morning, with footage geolocated by BBC Verify suggesting that some fighters are rapidly approaching the city of Homs.

Homs links the capital Damascus to the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast, President Bashar al-Assad's political stronghold and key to his grip on power.

In one clip, which first appeared online in the early hours of Friday morning, fighters could be seen crossing the Al-Rastan bridge on the M5 motorway while shouting "God is great". The crossing sits just over 22km (13.6 miles) from Homs city.

In another clip, men armed with assault rifles and waving a Syrian opposition flag could be seen leaning out of car windows as a small convoy passed through Talbiseh - a town further down the M5 towards Homs.

In separate footage, another convoy of vehicles were seen stopped in Dar al-Kabera, a town about 10km north of Homs city centre.

In the last hour, the Russian Embassy in Syria has launched an appeal to citizens urging them to leave the country.

In a brief statement on Telegram, the embassy cites the "difficult military-political situation" as it advises Russian citizens to "leave the country on commercial flights through existing airports".

Moscow is a key supporter of the Syrian government and has helped prop up President Assad’s regime.

Only last week, Russian strikes targeted the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib in an attempt to slow down rebel forces threatening the Basha al-Assad regime.

And earlier this week, Ukraine intelligence suggested Vladimir Putin was planning to "send mercenaries from ‘private military companies’ to the Middle Eastern country to help them".

Image source, Getty Images

Rebel fighters have taken control of al-Dar Al-Kaberah near Homs, according to UK-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The town is just 1km from the military academy in Homs, which is the largest military academy in Syria.

At the same time, says SOHR, many officers and members of the 26th Division, an air-defence battalion, have withdrawn from Ter Maalah, north of Homs.

Statue of president's father torn down in Hamapublished at 12:15 Greenwich Mean Time 6 December

12:15 GMT 6 December

By Paul Brown

Another symbol of the Assad regime has fallen as rebel fighters continue their rapid advance through Syria.

Following the seizure of Hama city yesterday, footage has emerged of a statue of former President Hafez al-Assad being pulled down in the south of the city.

The people seen surrounding the statue appear to be civilians, as many are dressed in regular clothing.

As the monument falls, those gathered celebrate with fireworks and cheers.

Hafez al-Assad - father of the current President Bashar al-Assad - led the country when an uprising in Hama was brutally supressed in 1982, leaving at least 10,000 people dead according to rights groups.

A statue of Hafez’s other son, Bassel, was torn down by rebel fighters in Aleppo after they seized the city last week.

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, on the Turkish-Syrian border

Last week, they seized Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. Yesterday, Hama, home to one million people.

Now, they are on their way to Homs, a strategically important city.

The rebels’ advance has been swift and astonishing, redrawing lines in the 13-year-old civil war.

In some places, they have encountered no resistance from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Homs is a key target, as it connects the capital Damascus to the country’s north and the coasts, Assad’s heartland.

Even if the rebels seize it, they will remain relatively distant from the capital - but this will certainly alarm the president and his allies even more - while boosting the fighters’ confidence that they can topple him.

Image source, Getty Images

This campaign, led by Islamist rebels from a group known as HTS, is the biggest challenge to Assad’s rule since the peak of the war, which started with the regime’s brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Assad changed the tide helped by Russia’s formidable air power and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia.

It is no coincidence that this offensive happens as those allies are distracted with their own affairs. Russia is engaged in its war with Ukraine, while Hezbollah has been severely weakened after its conflict with Israel.

The Syrian military, meanwhile, is demoralised, underpaid, and exhausted after years of fighting.

As the rebels advance, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah have reiterated their support for Assad.

With or without their help it is not clear how - or if - Assad will react to try to stop an offensive that threatens his 24-year-long regime

Rebel forces said they captured Hama in north west Syria yesterday – below you can see images from the city as rebels celebrate today.

The leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, declared "victory" in Hama and vowed there would be "no revenge".

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images