Opposition factions route government forces and take control of swathes of surrounding area
Middle East crisis: latest news updates
Syrian opposition forces have begin to encircle the capital city of Damascus after a lightning offensive brought rebel factions to Bashar al-Assad’s doorstep and led the president’s office to deny he had already fled the country.
The advance came just a week after Islamist insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) retook Aleppo in northern Syria, inspiring rebel factions all across the country to rise up against the Syrian army.