Live: Over 100,000 bodies found in mass grave near Damascus

Reuters quoted sources from the Syrian armed opposition who reported that their forces had taken control of Homs Central Prison, freeing hundreds of prisoners.

The agency also added, citing sources, that it had observed the withdrawal of Syrian regime forces from the city.

Reuters cited sources within the Syrian armed opposition who reported that dozens of Syrian army vehicles are leaving Homs, located in central Syria. The opposition sources indicated that their forces had targeted some of these vehicles

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that insecurity in Syria has regional consequences, emphasizing that Iran will “make every effort to ensure security and combat terrorists in Syria,” according to state news agency IRNA.

Araghchi stated that Syria is under attack by “tens of armed terrorist groups,” claiming that these groups are not Syrian nationals. He also accused the United States and Israel of playing a major role in the antigovernment offensive as part of a “new Middle East” agenda.

Sources in Syria informed Al Jazeera of growing panic as government troops reportedly withdrew from their positions around Damascus.

The sources confirmed that opposition forces had advanced in the western Damascus countryside, with army units retreating from cities and towns in Eastern Ghouta.

In the capital, residents rushed to markets to stock up on food items amid the uncertainty.

Bloomberg, citing unamed sources, claims that Syrian President Bashar Assad is willing to negotiate an agreement that either secures control over the areas he still holds or guarantees his safe exit. 

Sergei Markov, a political adviser with ties to the Kremlin, also stated that Assad is facing significant danger.

Israel has reportedly threatened Syrian opposition groups against approaching its border at the Israeli occupied Golan Heights. According to the news outlet Walla, Israeli officials have communicated this message to several factions in Syria.

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated that the army is closely monitoring activity along the Syrian border to prevent local groups from moving toward Israel.

Armin Montazeri, foreign policy editor at Hammihan Daily, an Iranian newspaper, spoke to Middle East Eye on the fast unfolding events in Syria and the view from Tehran:

In 2011, the Arab Spring and the Syrian civil war started and the public in Iran did not have a good opinion of Bashar Assad and his way of dealing with the Syrian protesters.

In the following years, when Iran intervened militarily in Syria, public opinion did not have a positive view either. The Iranian government tried to convince the public by using religious slogans like, "We have to defend the shrine of Zaynab and Ruqayya in Damascus," but failed.

There were two categories of politicians in Iran at that time, I mean, 2011. A group believed that Bashar Assad should not be helped and that the process in Syria should be supported by Iran through dialogue and understanding between various factions in Syria. This group included some technocrats, pragmatists, and diplomat pragmatists.

The other group believed that Syria was an essential part of Iran's national security strategy, calling it a "forward defense" in the region. They argued that the fall of the Bashar Assad government could jeopardize Iran's western borders. They believed that by saving Bashar, they could help Palestinians and Hezbollah very easily.

So, they said helping Bashar Assad was a necessary action. But today, both groups are shocked. Public opinion believes there must have been some kind of conspiracy or a deal behind the scenes. They do not believe that the Syrian army could hand over the battle to the Sunni rebels so easily.

This surprise can also be seen among Iranian politicians. Some of them have complained on TV channels about why the Iranian forces in Syria are not fighting or why the Russians do not intervene. But in general, there is a kind of silence among prominent Iranian officials. A clear position has not yet been made or expressed on this issue.

Of course, apart from the positions that the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has adopted in Doha, the commanders—I mean, the IRGC or Quds Force commanders—have not spoken in this regard yet. It seems there is no good justification. I myself wonder what they're going to say

CNN, citing an unnamed source, claimed that Syrian President Bashar Assad is not currently in Damascus. The report did not specify his location, despite the Syrian presidency asserting that he remains in the capital.

The Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Sednaya Prison has issued a statement addressing reports that opposition forces intend to storm Sednaya Prison and that its guards have fled. The association clarified that no faction has surrounded the prison as of now.

The group urged families to exercise caution and avoid approaching the prison’s vicinity, warning that the area is heavily fortified with anti-personnel and anti-tank minefields, some located near the outer and inner walls.

Additionally, the association appealed to media activists to verify information before dissemination to ensure the safety of residents. It also expressed hope that efforts to liberate the prison would commence soon. 

Sednaya prison in Syria is infamous for its role in detaining political prisoners and alleged dissidents, with widespread reports of torture and extrajudicial killings. It symbolises the Assad regime's brutal crackdown during the Syrian conflict.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali has declared that the country is engaged in a struggle to defend its “national identity.”

He emphasised that the ongoing conflict extends beyond territorial disputes. “The geographical battle is a secondary one, which our heroic army and armed forces have been fighting since 2011 and continues to this day,” he said

The incoming US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the unfolding crisis in Syria, asserting that opposition fighters have made significant gains in a "highly coordinated offensive."

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Trump claimed these fighters have seized control of multiple cities and are now positioned on the outskirts of Damascus, apparently gearing up for a decisive move to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump criticised Russia's inability to counter the offensive, citing its preoccupation with the war in Ukraine and what he described as "over 600,000 soldiers" lost in that conflict. "Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine... seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years," Trump wrote.

Reflecting on the origins of the current chaos, Trump pointed to former President Barack Obama's failure to enforce the so-called "red line" against chemical weapons use in Syria. He argued that this inaction led to "all hell breaking out" and opened the door for Russia's intervention in the conflict.

Trump suggested that Russia's waning influence in Syria, along with Assad's potential downfall, might ultimately serve Russia's interests, as the country had little to gain from its involvement in Syria beyond humiliating Obama.

Concluding his post, Trump called for the United States to avoid any engagement in the Syrian conflict. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend," he wrote, emphasising that the US should "LET IT PLAY OUT" and stay out of the fight. "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!"

The comments underscore Trump's long-standing opposition to US military entanglements abroad, particularly in regions where he believes America has no clear strategic interest.

Syrian journalist Harun al-Aswad has been speaking to his sources in Damascus.

Two residents of the capital told him that there has been no electricity since the dawn prayers around 6am.

People are rushing to the markets to buy food, and most of the markets have been emptied, he was told.

Sources in Damascus told Harun that Syrian government forces have launched a large-scale arrest campaign, rounding up young men to send to the front lines. Most men are staying at home to avoid tensions.

Sources from the western suburbs, about 5 km from Damascus city centre, told him that security forces have withdrawn from police stations, government departments and military checkpoints.

They say that the map of control around the capital is almost back to the state it was in around 2015.

Residents of Damascus' suburbs have described chaotic scenes to Middle East Eye.

In al-Mazzeh, a source has told MEE that buses were seen bringing people out of the military airbase there.

From al-Midan, another source said: "All the guards are scattered and anxious and there so many police cars are presently stuck in heavy standstill traffic. Its so crowded they're running like ants."

Gunfire has been heard in al-Midan and Kfar Sousa next to it.

One Kfar Sousa resident told MEE: "Everyone's trying to get into taxis and Ubers and taxis have stopped picking people up."

All the shops are shut, residents said.

Some pretty wild footage is coming out of Damascus and its environs.

In al-Midan, a neighbourhood about 3km from the city centre, people can be seen taking to the streets.

BREAKING — Syrians revolt against Assad regime right in the heart of Damascus, Al-Midan neighbourhood, 3km to the city center, per Sham Network pic.twitter.com/PNpnHcUY0a

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) December 7, 2024

In al-Kiswah, 13km south of Damascus, people can be seen jumping on a Syrian army tank.

From the heart of Al-Kiswah, Damascus.

People jumping on Assad regime tank. pic.twitter.com/e3k5KGmtvr

— Abd alhade alani (@abdalhadealani) December 7, 2024

And in al-Mazzeh, a Damascus suburb that has a military air base, Syrian troops are purportedly seen in this video fleeing.

Assad regime forces flee Damascus’ Mazzeh area now. pic.twitter.com/DBhEMZXHwh

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 7, 2024

Here's a helpful map to see who controls what in Syria right now.

Every day those areas of control are shifting, with the Syrian government's forces retreating to Damascus, Homs and the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus.