Islamic extremist militants have entered the Syrian city of Hama in a battle to seize key points on the road to Damascus, in the latest challenge to Bashar al-Assad's rule over the country.
Militants led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered the city from the east on Thursday after besieging it during five days of fighting with forces loyal to Assad.
“This victory will not be vengeful, but merciful,” HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said in a message to the people of Hama.
Syria's Defense Ministry initially denied that rebels had entered Hama, saying Hama's defense lines were “impregnable.” But as the fighting intensified and moved closer to the city centre, the Syrian army announced it was withdrawing and redeploying its forces “to protect civilian lives and keep the people of Hama city out of the fighting.” .
Hama, located along the main road that runs through Syria's west toward the capital Damascus, was the site of a major uprising against Assad in 2011, and rebels have since attempted to seize control of the city in the ensuing civil war. When it failed, a fierce battle ensued. war.
Hama is also the site of the infamous 1982 massacre, when forces loyal to former president Hafez al-Assad besieged the town to stop a Sunni Muslim-led uprising opposed to his rule. .
The HTS-led offensive resulted in Assad losing control of Syria's second city, Aleppo, and some areas in northeastern Syria. The sudden loss appears to have worried President Bashar al-Assad's longtime supporters in Moscow and Tehran, with the Russian military intent on invading Ukraine and Iran becoming a target of Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory, which increased last year. I am concerned about this.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Russian government was “closely monitoring” events in Syria. “Depending on the assessment of the situation, we will be able to discuss how much support the Syrian authorities need to deal with the insurgents and eliminate this threat,” he said.
Gregory Waters, a Syrian military analyst at the Middle East Institute, said a combination of low morale, low wages, corruption and dysfunction within the chain of command led to the sudden rout of government forces from areas they had long controlled. Ta.
He said the Syrian army was “completely unprepared” for the rebel attack.
Earlier this week, President Assad issued a decree increasing the salaries of military personnel by 50%, amid reports of an increase in desertions from the Syrian army and fighters fleeing from their positions.
Waters said military support from Iran and Russia has been limited compared to previous Syrian conflicts.
“I find it difficult to imagine a scenario in which forces loyal to the regime in Damascus regain momentum,” he said. “Even if Russia and Iran or Iranian-backed forces were to become more involved, they would still be limited by their own wars. Masu.”
