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12:40 Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani sought to reassure religious minorities on Saturday after Islamist-led militants snatched key cities and swathes of territory from government control.

His comments come as rebels sought to advance into Syria’s third city of Homs, after their alliance led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an offensive last week.

They seized key urban centres in days, including second city Aleppo, home to a Christian minority, as well as Hama, with nearby towns home to members of the Ismaili sect.

Homs is also home to a sizeable Alawite minority, who share President Bashar al-Assad’s faith. HTS’s precursor Al-Nusra Front, which was linked to Al-Qaeda, had carried out deadly attacks on Alawites there in the early days of Syria’s war.

Now, after seizing areas where “different religious sects and minorities” live, Abdel Ghani said in a statement on Telegram: “We ask that all sects be reassured… for the era of sectarianism and tyranny has gone away forever”.

“It has become clear to everyone that our forces have proven their discipline on the field under the directives and orders of our leadership,” said Abdel Ghani, a spokesman for the HTS-led alliance.