The regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad may fall within days as Syrian rebels continue to advance on the country's capital Damascus, five different U.S. officials told CNN on Dec. 7.
Syrian rebels claim to have reached the suburbs of Damascus on Dec. 7, as the rebel groups' rapid offensive against pro-government forces continues.
In a statement issued by the Free Syrian Army rebel group, the group claimed that they reached "the gates of Damascus," CNN reported. Multiple opposition activists as well as a rebel commander also made the claim on Saturday.
Syrian rebel forces have quickly advanced in recent days in a surprise resurgence, with rebel forces gaining control of major cities Aleppo and Hama.
"Probably by next weekend the Assad regime will have lost any semblance of power," one official told CNN on the condition of anonymity. "The emerging consensus is that is an increasingly plausible scenario."
Officials cautioned that the opinions expressed were not a formal assessment of the situation, but do paint an increasingly bleak picture for the embattled country's ruler.
The comments from U.S. officials come as the United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, called on Dec. 7 for a "inclusive and credible" transition of power amid the continued advance.
"This must be the start of a process that leads to the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and the restoration of the sovereignty, independence, and unity, and territorial integrity of Syria," Pedersen said.
Despite the ongoing offensive, Assad remains in Damascus, his office said, denying claims that the president had left the capital — although a source told CNN that Assad's current whereabouts are unknown.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify either claim.
The advance of Syrian rebels also deals a blow to Assad's key ally, Russia. If Assad's regime falls, Russia will lose its regional foothold in the Middle East, including its only naval base in the Mediterranean, and its regional and global influence will be diminished.
Moscow deployed its troops to Syria in 2015, providing support to the Assad regime against multiple anti-government forces. Damascus has been supportive of the Kremlin during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces operating in Syria have been accused by the U.N. and other organizations of committing war crimes in the country, including the intentional bombing of hospitals and the usage of "double-tap" attacks, a tactic Russia has repeated in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
(Updated: )
