Thousands flee Syrian city Homs as rebels advance further | BBC News

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Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Syria's third-largest city Homs in fear that Islamist-led rebels will continue to advance towards the capital, Damascus.

The rebels seized Hama to the north on Thursday, a second major blow to President Bashar al-Assad who lost control of Aleppo last week.

The leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, told residents of Homs "your time has come".

Syrian rebels launched a surprise offensive against the government last week and have so far captured two major cities. The rebel push is the largest offensive launched against the government in years, but a civil war has continued in Syria since the Arab Spring in 2011.

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#Syria #MiddleEast #BBCNews