The General Command of Bashar al-Assad's army announced on Saturday evening that its forces are bolstering their positions across the Damascus region to "prevent incidents resulting from the chaos the terrorists are attempting to create." The military dismissed what it described as "false videos" distributed by the rebels.
Syrian rebels told the French news agency AFP that they have begun surrounding Damascus, even as Assad's regime denies retreating from areas near the capital. At the same time, sources told Sky News Arabic that Assad's forces have been ordered to gradually withdraw from the city of Homs.
In addition, a source told CNN that Assad is nowhere to be found in the expected locations within Damascus.
The source added that the Presidential Guard is no longer deployed at his usual residence, fueling speculation that he has fled the capital. However, Assad's office denied these claims, asserting that he has not left Damascus.
Bloomberg News reported that Assad has approached the US through the United Arab Emirates to propose a deal in which he would sever ties with Iran and Hezbollah in exchange for Western assistance to remain in power.
In less than two weeks, Assad's regime has lost control of most of its territory, as his allies abandon him. Russia has clarified that it has no plans to rescue the dictator, pro-Iranian militias have retreated to Iraq, and even Hezbollah has deployed only limited forces after suffering significant blows in its conflict with Israel.
