Defeated Syrian rebels abandoned their shattered stronghold in Homs, giving way to a 26-day assault on the city, Reuters reported. Activists said Syria's army had begun hunting down and killing insurgents who stayed to cover their comrades' "tactical retreat" from the city's Baba Amro district. One pro-government figure said troops had "broken the back" of the uprising and the rebel withdrawal heralded impending victory over a Western-backed insurgency. Soon afterward, the international Red Cross said Syrian authorities had finally given it the "green light" to take aid into Baba Amro on Friday.