BEIRUT — On Tuesday morning, Syrian rebel forces captured four additional towns, moving them closer to the central city of Hama, according to opposition activists. Meanwhile, government troops managed to reclaim some territories they had lost in previous days.

This latest advancement by rebel groups, primarily led by the jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham along with Turkey-supported opposition fighters, places them approximately 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) from Hama, which ranks as Syria’s fourth largest city.

The ongoing military campaign is part of a broader offensive by forces opposing President Bashar Assad, which has recently seen significant gains in the northern city of Aleppo, the largest in Syria, as well as various towns and villages in the southern regions of Idlib province.

Reports from the rebels’ military operations indicate that they eliminated around 50 government soldiers during their takeover of the towns of Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, Maardis, and Soran. This information was corroborated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization that monitors conflict activity.

Meanwhile, a pro-government media outlet described fierce fighting in and around the captured towns, claiming that Syrian forces were firing artillery at the insurgents. Additionally, state media highlighted heavy airstrikes conducted by both Syrian and Russian forces in the vicinity.

Government forces reportedly managed to reclaim the village of Khanaser on the same day, having lost control of it recently. Khanaser is strategically located on a key route to Aleppo.

The prolonged conflict involving Assad, his foreign allies, and various armed opposition groups has resulted in an estimated half-million fatalities over the last 13 years.

Towards the east, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced that they had taken control of seven villages from pro-government militia fighters. However, Syrian state media refuted these claims, asserting that the attack was successfully thwarted. These villages are situated near a base that accommodates U.S. troops, close to the Iraqi border.

Additionally, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan remarked that the insurgents’ swift recent gains highlight the necessity for President Assad to engage in dialogue with his citizens and opposition forces.

Assad and his administration label all armed factions in opposition-held regions as terrorists and firmly reject any potential political negotiations with them. Turkey has been striving to stabilize relations with Syria to mitigate security threats posed by factions linked to Kurdish militants along its southern border, and to aid the safe return of over three million Syrian refugees. In response, Assad has stated that the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from northern Syria is a prerequisite for any normalization of relations between the two nations.