Syrian rebels take control of key city of Hama

Syrian rebels seized the city of Hama on December 5, marking a major victory in a week-long offensive in northern Syria that dealt a major blow to President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Fighters celebrate after rebels entered the city of Hama, Syria, December 5. (Photo: Reuters)

After years of being held back, Syrian rebels have made their fastest advances on the front line since the uprising against President Assad turned into a civil war 13 years ago. The capture of Hama gives the rebels control of a strategic city they had never held before.

The Syrian army said it was redeploying forces outside the city "to protect civilian lives and avoid urban fighting" after heavy clashes.

According to Reuters , television images showed rebels parading through Hama in the evening with celebratory gunfire. Other footage showed prisoners pouring out of the city's prison after rebels freed them.

Rebels say they are ready to advance south towards Homs, a crossroads city linking the capital Damascus to the north and the coast.

Rebels have pushed back Syrian government forces, taking control of large swaths of territory in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. Aleppo is Syria's second-largest city and has been under government control since 2016.

Fighting continued around villages outside Hama for two days but as rebels entered the city, the battle ended within hours.

Hama is strategically located, about 200 km from the capital Damascus and about 40 km from the city of Homs.

Losing control of the city is expected to hamper any quick efforts by President Assad's government and its allies to launch a counter-offensive against the rebel advance of the past week.

The Syrian government’s loss of control in the north illustrates the shift in the balance of power since Lebanon’s Hezbollah group suffered heavy losses in its conflict with Israel. Hezbollah is seen as a key force on the battlefield for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Mr Assad's government relied heavily on Russian and Iranian backing during the years of brutal civil war, helping him retake most of Syria's territory and largest cities before the fighting froze in 2020.

However, Russia has been focused on the war in Ukraine since 2022. Meanwhile, many figures in the senior leadership of Hezbollah, a force aligned with Iran, have been killed in the Israeli conflict.

Hoa Vu (Source: Reuters)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/quan-noi-day-syria-kiem-soat-thanh-pho-quan-trong-hama-ar911753.html