Assad ‘Loses’ Deir Ezzor To US Ally SDF, Syrian Rebels March on Homs, HTS Lists Offensive Goal

Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani says ultimate goal of rebels is to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “It is our right to use all available means to achieve that goal,” al-Jolani said of the offensive which has seen rebels seize Aleppo and Hama in a matter of days. The rebels were just five km (three miles) from the edge of Homs on Dec. 6 morning, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. The fall of Homs would cut the seat of power in the capital Damascus from the Mediterranean coast, a key bastion of the Assad clan. The HTS-led rebel alliance “entered the cities of Rastan and Talbisseh” on the main road between Hama and Homs, the Observatory said. 00:00 – INTRODUCTION 03:11 – AL-JOLANI PROJECTS A MODERATE IMAGE05:00 – HEZBOLLAH ACCUSES ISRAEL AND US OF BACKING REBELSn18oc_world n18oc_crux