Syrian rebels advance into two central towns, nearing the city of Homs.

BEIRUT — Early Friday, Syrian opposition fighters advanced into two central towns situated just north of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, according to reports from both pro-government media and an opposition war monitoring group.

The insurgents infiltrated Rastan and Talbiseh a day after taking control of Hama, which ranks as the fourth-largest city in Syria. This move followed the Syrian army’s decision to withdraw to prevent civilian casualties amid ongoing confrontations.

The offensive is led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has indicated its intentions to progress toward both Homs and Damascus, where President Bashar Assad’s regime is based.

Homs is a strategic point connecting the capital, Damascus, with Syria’s coastal areas of Latakia and Tartus, where Assad’s government maintains considerable support. Earning the title of the largest province in Syria, Homs also shares borders with Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition monitor, the insurgents are now approximately five kilometers (three miles) away from Homs, marking a significant advance. Rami Abdurrahman, the Observatory’s head, noted, “The battle for Homs is crucial and will ultimately determine who governs Syria.”

Local pro-government media outlet Sham FM reported that the takeover of Rastan and Talbiseh occurred without major resistance. Meanwhile, the Syrian military has not immediately confirmed whether it has also withdrawn from these towns.

State-run news agency SANA cited an unnamed military official stating that Syrian and Russian air forces were conducting strikes against insurgents in Hama province, resulting in numerous enemy combatant casualties.

Following the fall of Hama, activists indicated a significant flight of pro-Assad residents towards Damascus and coastal areas, underscoring the shifting tides in the ongoing conflict.

In a televised address the previous evening, Syria’s defense minister characterized the withdrawal from Hama as a strategic maneuver and asserted plans to reclaim lost territories. General Ali Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that the insurgents, identified as “takfiri” or Islamic extremists, are receiving support from foreign entities, seemingly alluding to Turkey as a primary supporter of the opposition alongside the United States.

“We are maintaining a favorable position on the ground,” Abbas stated, reaffirming that the Syrian military’s retreat from Hama was a “temporary tactical measure” and that government forces remain “at the gates of Hama.”

His remarks came just before insurgents made their way southward from Hama, edging closer to Homs. The HTS-led offensive is receiving assistance from the Syrian National Army, a grouping of Turkish-supported militias. Their rapid conquest of the historically significant city of Aleppo has reignited momentum among Assad’s adversaries, marking a dramatic escalation in a conflict that had entered a relative stalemate in recent years.