Rebels bear down on Homs as UN says 370,000 people displaced in Syria

Syrian rebel forces say they have reached the central city of Homs, which could position the insurgents to topple another town strategic to President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power.

"Our forces have liberated the last village on the outskirts of the city of Homs and are now on its walls," the Syrian faction leading the sweeping assault said on Telegram.

A rebel force comprised of Islamist insurgents previously affiliated with Al Qaeda began a lightning campaign to capture territory on November 27, and have since taken a number of major cities, including Aleppo and Hama. 

Rebel sources also said early on Saturday they had seized the southern city of Daraa, near Jordan, after reaching a deal to give army officials safe passage to the capital Damascus for the army's orderly withdrawal.

Reuters could not independently confirm the rebels' claims.

If the Sunni Muslim rebels capture Homs, they would cut off Damascus from the coast, a stronghold of Assad's minority Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and air base.

A Syrian army source said any rebel push from the north of Homs would face Iran-backed Hezbollah forces that were positioned to bolster government defences.

 At least 370,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Syria since late last month, the United Nations says.

Since rebels began their insurgency on November 27, the spokesperson of UN secretary-general António Guterres said many residents had fled the fighting.

"Since the escalation of hostilities, at least 370,000 men, women and children, boys and girls, have been displaced, including 100,000 who left their homes more than once," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

"Most of the displaced are women and children."

Jordan closes border as Russia urges citizens to leave

In a further escalation, separate rebel forces captured territory in Syria's south and east.

A US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters took Deir el-Zor, the government's main foothold in the vast desert in the east of the country, news agencies AFP and Reuters reported.

The Syrian government said it withdrew from the city to bolster its defence of Homs.

In southern Deraa province, Syrian local fighters and former rebels overran one of the main army bases, known as Liwa 52, near Herak town as fighting spread to the southern border with Jordan, two rebel sources told Reuters on Friday.

They also seized parts of the Nassib border crossing with Jordan near the customs section where dozens of trailers and passenger cars were stranded, sources added.

Both Jordan and Lebanon closed their borders with Syria on Friday amid the unrest. 

Meanwhile, Russia, one of Syria's closest allies, urged its citizens to leave the country via commercial flights as soon as possible.

Russia and Iran have previously provided military support to the regime, helping Mr Assad stay in power despite a civil war that has been raging since 2011. 

Iraq considers intervention in Syria

Amid the escalating fighting in Syria, Iraq's leading Shi-ite Muslim ruling parties were weighing up an armed intervention in Syria, according to Reuters.

The Sunni Islamist rebel forces have previously stated they have no interest in Iraq. 

The country has a dark history with Syria-based Sunni fighters, thousands of whom crossed into Iraq after the 2003 US invasion and fuelled years of sectarian killing.

Their fighters returned again in 2013 as Islamic State to conquer a third of the country.

The Iraqi government has amassed thousands of fighters to defend its border with Syria.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Baghdad on Wednesday.

Mr Hussein condemned attacks by "terrorist entities" in Syria, while Mr Araqchi pledged to provide Syria with all the support it needed.

Reuters/AFP