Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a social media post on Thursday that his forces had entered the city of Hama, a strategically important stronghold south of Aleppo that the rebels had previously conquered. said. Rebels appeared to have taken control of much of the city by Thursday afternoon.
rebel offensive reached On Tuesday, Hama engaged in heavy fighting with the Syrian army and Iranian-backed allied militias. Syrian state media claimed that the attack on Hama had been repulsed, but until rebel occupation of the city could no longer be ruled out and there was soon little doubt that rebels were in control of the city, Syrian media It also reported on Aleppo.
Hama was a major milestone for the rebels, as Bashar al-Assad's regime continued to pacify it throughout Syria's civil war, which began in 2011. The civil war likely began in Hama when Assad brutally suppressed protests against his rule, but the rebels never did so. before taking over the city.
If the rebels take control of Hama, they will be about one-third of the way to the capital Damascus. The next major stop on the way to Damascus is the crossroads city of Homs.
Hama is also important because of its proximity to three major ethnic minorities: Christians in Muhradda, Ismaili Muslims in Salamiya, and Alawites.
Ismailis are a small sect of Shiite Islam. brutal by Islamic State. The Alawites are a Shiite sect from which Bashar al-Assad and much of Syria's ruling elite hail.
The rebel offensive is being led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist offshoot of al-Qaeda. HTS leaders have promised to protect religious minorities in conquered territories, but their promises have received little credence. They are likely to be particularly hostile to Assad's Alawites, the dictator's main source of political support. Christian leaders have already sound the alarm About the dangers facing Syria's Christian community.
HTS Leader Abu Mohammed Al Julani declared On Thursday, it was announced that Hama was under full rebel control. Footage broadcast by Al Jazeera News showed rebels moving freely through Hama and talking with civilian residents.
Al Jazeera reported It said a “significant” number of Hama residents had been evacuated after rebels entered the city. The report also said rebels had captured Hama's military airport, which the Syrian army has been using for airstrikes against rebels.
Julani releases statement caveat Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have been sent to Syria to support the Assad regime and are moving away from Hama. The rebel leader advised Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sunday to “avoid drawing Iraq into the spark of a new war related to what is happening in Syria.” .
Syrian army admitted Later on Thursday, troops were withdrawn from the city to “protect civilian lives and prevent urban fighting.” claimed They were preparing to launch a counterattack.
“I think it will be very difficult for Russia and Syria to regain momentum quickly, because now that the rebels are gaining control of Hama, they are about to launch a major attack on Homs,” Royal United said. spoke. Samuel Ramani, Associate Fellow at the Institute of Services, told Al Jazeera.
“If Homs is captured, Damascus will be under serious threat,” he added.
“Currently, we are closely monitoring what is happening in Syria. We are in constant dialogue with our Syrian friends and with Damascus,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. said on Thursday.
“Depending on the assessment of the situation, we will be able to discuss how much support the Syrian authorities need to deal with the armed groups and eliminate this threat,” Peskov said.
