Why Syria's Homs is called 'capital of revolution' against Assad
What's the story
Islamist rebels have made major advances in Syria, capturing key cities like Aleppo and Hama.
The rebels are now closing in on Syria's third largest city, Homs, which houses Syria's main oil refinery and serves as a crucial link between central Syria, Damascus, and the Mediterranean coast.
Amid the escalating conflict, both Lebanon and Israel have stationed troops along their borders with Syria, fearing a spillover of violence.
Historical backdrop
Homs's historical significance and current situation
Historically, Homs has been a Sunni-dominated city that became home to a large Alawite population, including President Bashar al-Assad's sect, after the 1963 coup, when the military committee of the Syrian Regional Branch seized power.
The city first saw armed resistance against Assad's regime in 2011 when anti-government factions took up arms.
Currently, rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) are reportedly just five kilometers from the outskirts of Homs after capturing Rastan and Talbiseh.
Strategic takeover
Rebel advances and city's response
A Syrian military defector had earlier suggested that rebels could "easily take over" Homs because of its flat topography and the exodus of Alawite inhabitants.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al Jawlani reaffirmed their goal, saying, "The goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime."
Amid these developments, Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh met with his Iraqi and Iranian counterparts in Baghdad.
Revolution capital
Why Homs was dubbed 'capital of the revolution'
Early in the civil war in 2011, Homs was dubbed the "capital of the revolution" by activists who envisioned a Syria free of Assad's authority.
It was in Homs that armed anti-government factions first rose up, and a brutal siege trapped civilians with little food or medicine.
Al-Nusra Front, the Al-Qaeda-linked forerunner of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel alliance responsible for last week's offensive, also carried out fatal attacks against the Alawite community in Homs.
History
City had population of 800,000
Prior to the battle, the city was believed to have a population of 800,000. After nonviolent protests inspired by the Arab Spring erupted across the country in March 2011, Homs saw the first rebel groupings pick up arms against the army.
For a period, Homs' Baba Amr area served as a stronghold for the rebel Free Syrian Army, a motley crew of army defectors and civilians who joined the war.
Aftermath
Army recaptured Baba Amr in March 2012
The army regained Baba Amr in 2012 and then surrounded the Old City, which had also fallen out of government control.
The siege lasted two years and killed around 2,200.
In May 2014, the majority of those trapped by the siege were evacuated from the city as part of the war's first accord with the government.
In an operation overseen by Assad ally Russia, the government reclaimed control of Homs' last remaining opposition territory, the Waer suburb, in May 2016.