Rebels have driven government forces out of the city of Hama, paving the way for an offensive in southern Syria. This weakens the position of Assad and his allies from Russia and Iran in the region.
Syrian rebels have driven pro-regime forces out of Hama, winning an important victory after a successful offensive in northern Syria. This dealt a new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his allies from Russia and Iran, adding to tensions in the region.
The capture of Hama, which has remained under government control since the beginning of the war, paves the way for further attacks on strategically important cities that could change the balance of power in Syria.
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The Syrian army announced the transfer of its forces outside Hama "to save civilian lives and prevent urban fighting" after intense clashes that took place in the city. The rebels, in turn, reported that they seized areas in the north-east of the city and the Central Prison, freeing prisoners.
Al Jazeera TV showed footage of rebels in Hama — some of them meeting civilians near the ring, others driving military vehicles and mopeds.
Last week, the rebels captured the important northern city of Aleppo and have since moved south from their enclave in northwestern Syria.
The capture of Hama, which remained under government control throughout the civil conflict, could lead to new upheavals in Damascus and increase fears of a further rebel offensive in the south of the country.
Assad relied on the strong support of Russia and Iran during the most intense stages of the conflict, which helped him regain control of most of the territory and major cities. However, recent developments in northern Syria point to problems in its alliance, as Russia has been focused on the war in Ukraine since 2022, and Hezbollah, which was one of the main Iranian forces in Syria, has suffered heavy losses in the war with Israel.
During the offensive on Hama, rebel commander-in — chief Abu Muhammad al-Golani issued a video statement warning of the possible involvement of another powerful regional force supported by Iran-Iraqi militia Hashd al-Shaabi.
We call on the Iraqi Prime Minister to keep Iraq from being drawn into the flames of a new war related to the events in Syria
– declared the main ones.
The key city of Hama is located halfway between Aleppo and Damascus, and its capture paves the way for a rebel offensive on Homs, an important city that is a transport hub for Syria's largest and most densely populated regions.
In addition, Hama is of strategic importance due to its control of two cities with numerous religious minorities — Mukhrad, where many Christians live, and salamis, where there is a large community of Ismaili Muslims.Although the rebels had not previously captured Hama, the city has historically been a hotbed of resistance to the rule of the Assad dynasty.
In 1982, an uprising of Muslim Brotherhood activists took place here, after which the army carried out a brutal three-week attack that killed more than 10,000 people. This operation became a model for Assad's campaign against the rebels.
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The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
