The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Syria’s army command has told its officers that president Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following the two-day rebel offensive, Reuters is reporting. Syrian rebels have said Damascus is “now free of Assad”.
There are rumours that Assad has fled.
Rebel fighters belonging to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist militant group, took control of the Syrian city of Hama on Thursday, and neared Homs, en route Damascus, the capital of Syria. The leader of the rebel group Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani had said that they want to overthrow the current Bashar al-Assad government and set up a new one. Last week, the rebel forces captured Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria.
The Damascus International Airport has been evacuated and all flights have been halted, according to the pro-government radio station Sham FM.
The rebels also broke into the Saydnaya military prison outside Damascus and opened its gates for prisoners.
Thousands of residents of Homs have already fled the city and have headed to the Western coast where al-Assad still maintains control, Al Jazeera reported. It also quoted Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as saying that the fighting had displaced at least 3,70,000 people across Syria since November 27. Most of the displaced are women and children, per the report.
The Russian embassy in Damascus has also instructed Russian nationals to leave Syria even though Russia has backed and provided military support to Bashar al-Assad.
India’s advisory
On December 6, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a travel advisory for Indians in Syria.
The MEA on December 6 advised all Indian nationals to avoid travel to Syria until further notification. The MEA has also said that Indians who are currently in Syria should remain in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in for updates.
“Those who can, are advised to leave by the earliest available commercial flights and others are requested to observe utmost precaution about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum,” the MEA advisory read.