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Syria's 'capital of revolution' Homs falls under complete control of Assad government
The Syrian government has reclaimed complete control of the country’s third-largest city and the “capital of the revolution”, in a major blow for the opposition that has lost huge swathes of territory in recent weeks.
The last of the rebels in Homs were evacuated from the district of al-Waer on Sunday under a deal agreed with the regime which will see them moved to Idlib, northern Syria.
"The last bus has left the Waer neighbourhood," Homs provincial governor Talal Barazi said. "There are no more weapons or armed men in Waer... we can declare Homs to be a secure city," he said, adding that 20,000 people were evacuated in recent weeks.
The setback was a largely symbolic one as most opposition fighters left Homs in 2014, after two years of heavy bombardment and siege by regime forces.
It was dubbed the capital of the revolution after residents embraced the call to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in early 2011 and much of the city fell under the control of the opposition.
Homs is also of geographic, strategic and economic importance as the only natural gateway from Syria's Mediterranean coast to the interior.
Retaking Homs also secures the route from the seat of power in Damascus to Aleppo, the country’s second city.
The evacuation of Waer brings Syria's government closer to cementing its control over more parts of the war-wracked country.
It is a major shift from a few years ago when the armed opposition was on the rise, threatening the capital and holding on to more than half of Aleppo.
Earlier this month, rebels also began evacuating the last districts under their control in Damascus after surrendering in Aleppo in December.
The recent deal signed in Kazakhstan to establish so-called safe zones in four areas of Syria has effectively frozen battles between the regime and rebels in the opposition’s main strongholds of Idlib, Homs, Deraa and Aleppo.
The halt of rebel activity in the most heavily contested areas, coupled with the large-scale surrender of opposition fighters in Damascus, has freed up government troops.
The regime has regained more than 1,500sq miles of territory from the opposition this month alone, mostly in Suwayda and Rif Dimashq, southwest Syria, and Homs.
The loss of territory has hurt the rebels at peace talks, giving Assad greater legitimacy and the stronger hand.