Home World Live International Crisis Syrian rebels announce their arrival in Hama following intense clashes

Syrian rebels announce their arrival in Hama following intense clashes

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Syrian rebels announce their arrival in Hama following intense clashes

BEIRUT — On Thursday, Syrian rebel forces announced their entry into sections of Hama, a central city, following three days of fierce confrontations with government troops at the city’s outskirts. This maneuver is part of a broader campaign, which has seen the rebels capture Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

State media in Syria acknowledged the violence occurring between government forces and insurgents located on the eastern outskirts of Hama, but refuted claims that the opposition had infiltrated the city itself. Hama has remained under complete government control throughout the protracted civil conflict that ignited in March 2011. Losing control of Hama would pose a significant challenge for President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Leading the assault are members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadi group, alongside the Turkish-allied Syrian National Army. The insurgents’ recent success in securing Aleppo, once a vital commercial center, has been a noteworthy victory for those opposing Assad. It represents the first significant offensive against Hama since 2016, when a devastating Russian air campaign reclaimed the city for Assad after it had fallen into rebel hands. The support from Russia, Iran, and Iranian-aligned Hezbollah, alongside other militia groups, has played a crucial role in ensuring Assad’s retention of power.

The current escalation in Syria’s lengthy conflict unfolds as Assad’s key regional and international allies are embroiled in their own battles. The insurgents reported on their Military Operations Department channel through the Telegram app that they have reached Hama and are advancing toward the city’s heart.

A local militia commander, identified as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani, was quoted saying, “Our forces are taking positions inside the city of Hama.” The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group for the opposition, indicated that insurgents have gained access to parts of Hama, specifically the neighborhoods of Sawaaeq and Zahiriyeh in the northwest, and that they are closing in on the Kazo neighborhood to the northwestern side.

The Observatory’s leader, Rami Abdurrahman, expressed serious implications of a potential Hama fall, remarking that it would indicate the onset of the regime’s decline. Hama serves as a critical juncture within Syria, connecting the central region to both the north and the east as well as the western areas. It lies approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Damascus, the capital where Assad’s government is based, and shares a border with Latakia, a coastal province seen as a key stronghold for Assad’s supporters.

Since the offensive commenced on November 27, it has caused the displacement of tens of thousands of individuals, as the situation continues to deteriorate.