Syrian opposition forces declared full control of the city of Homs on the morning of December 8 after just one day of fighting, putting President Bashar al-Assad's government at increased risk as the forces continue to advance toward the capital Damascus.

Thousands of people in Homs poured into the streets after Syrian government troops withdrew from the city center, according to AFP.

Opposition forces fired into the air in celebration. Many tore down posters of President al-Assad.

The fall of Homs gives the opposition control of a strategic swath of Syria and a key crossroads, cutting Damascus off from the coastal region that is a stronghold of the Alawite sect and where Russia has naval and air bases.

Commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) force leading the opposition called the capture of Homs a historic moment and called on fighters not to harm "those who lay down their arms".

Writing on Telegram, HTS commander Hassan Abdel Ghani said the force had freed more than 3,500 prisoners in Homs.

The battle for control in Syria is likely to quickly move to the capital, observers say. People in many districts of Damascus took to the streets to protest against President al-Assad on the evening of December 7, and security forces were unwilling or unable to suppress them.

In a related development, Reuters on December 8 quoted a joint statement from five Arab countries, along with Iran, Türkiye and Russia, calling for a political solution to stop military operations and protect the Syrian people.

The statement, issued after a meeting of foreign ministers of the above countries in Doha (Qatar), also stated that the crisis in Syria is a threat to regional and international security. The group of five countries above includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

President al-Assad's government has not commented on the information. Meanwhile, Reuters quoted two residents in Damascus as saying that heavy gunfire was heard in the center of the capital, but it was unclear who was involved.