Transcript of Syrian rebels closer to toppling Assad regime

Tonight, new signs Syrian president Bashar al Assad's regime is at risk of falling. This statue of the Syrian dictator's father torn down in a suburb just 6 miles from the center of the capital city, Damascus. Since taking the country's 2nd largest city of Aleppo last week, anti Assad rebels have traveled south.

We're Aleppo.

Seizing the cities of Hama and Dara, now fighting for control of Homs and trying to cut off the capital. Their fastest battleground games since Syria's civil war began 13 years ago. The rebels led by the Islamist group HTS, once tied to Al Qaeda and labeled a terrorist organization by the US. Assad's regime has survived largely on support from Russia, Iran, and 1 of Iran's proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon. Rebels are now exploiting Assad allies' focus

being diverted elsewhere, with Hezbollah's

heavy losses at the hands of Israel, Damascus and it's strengthening defenses around the capital. But this video shows Syrian soldiers in the north defecting in exchange for safety from rebels. Back in the U. S, the mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist kidnapped in Syria more than 12 years ago, says her family has received hopeful news.

We have from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government, ostracized alive.

The family hoping the unrest in Syria creates an opportunity for Tice's release.

Ali Rafa is at the

White House tonight. Ali, if the rebels do take Damascus, what happens next?

Well, it's unclear who would emerge as Syria's leader and what they would do, but 1 top concern is Syria's partial border with key US ally Israel, which has begun military exercises in light of rebel forces seizing regions near the border. Jose?

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