Syria rebels 'entering Damascus'

Islamist-led rebels announced Sunday they had started entering the Syrian capital Damascus, where residents told AFP they heard heavy gunfire.

"Our forces started entering Damascus," Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) said on Telegram.

The Syrian military and security forces have left Damascus airport, a war monitor said after rebels vowed to take their lightning offensive to the capital.

Sources from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported officers and soldiers of government forces withdrew from Damascus International Airport, as residents in the capital told AFP they heard gunfire in the city.