Islamist Rebels Clash with Syrian Troops Near Hama

On Tuesday, Islamist-led rebels clashed with Syrian army forces as they moved toward the city of Hama in central Syria, according to a war monitor.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the rebels, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and their allies, engaged in some of the most intense fighting with government forces since launching their rapid offensive last week.

Since the beginning of the offensive, the rebels have captured significant territory from the Syrian government, including the key city of Aleppo. The latest clashes have taken place in the northern countryside of Hama, where rebel factions have taken control of several towns and cities in recent hours.

In response, both Syrian and Russian air forces have carried out numerous airstrikes in the region. Russia has been involved in Syria’s conflict since 2015, supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and continuing to back him during this latest escalation.

State news agency SANA confirmed airstrikes in Hama province as well as in Idlib, a major rebel stronghold in the northwest. Hama is a strategically important city, connecting Aleppo to Damascus, and has been a historical center of opposition to Assad’s government. It was also the site of mass protests early in the civil war.

For many residents of Hama, memories of the 1982 massacre, when the Syrian army targeted the Muslim Brotherhood, remain painful and unresolved.

An AFP journalist in the northern Hama countryside reported seeing numerous Syrian army tanks and military vehicles abandoned along the road to Hama. One rebel fighter, Abu al-Huda al-Sourani, told AFP that their goal was to move forward on Hama after securing the towns they had recently captured.

According to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, capturing Hama would be a significant blow to the regime, especially since the province’s western countryside is home to Assad’s Alawite community.

The ongoing fighting has displaced nearly 50,000 people and led to hundreds of deaths, mostly among fighters, since late November. Syria has been in a state of war since 2011, when Assad’s government violently suppressed protests calling for democratic reforms.