Hama captured by Syria’s anti-regime forces as Assad suffers major setback
Syrian opposition forces take possesion of Syrian army military equipment and vehicles that were abandoned on the highway to Damascus, as they reach the town of Suran north of Syria's Hama city, December 3, 2024. (AFP Photo)
The strategic city of Hama has fallen to anti-regime forces, marking a significant blow to the Assad government.
Anti-regime forces capture strategic Hama city
Hassan Abdul Ghani, commander of the Military Operations Department formed by the anti-regime factions, stated on X: “The criminal Hafez al-Assad entered with tanks and stole the city from its people. Today, we entered with tanks and returned it to its rightful owners.”
In a written statement, the Syrian regime’s army confirmed its withdrawal from the city and redeployment to the outskirts after the opposition groups took control.
The anti-regime factions, who have been clashing with Assad regime forces since November 27, continue to advance in Hama province. Russian aircraft are providing support to the Syrian regime forces as the fighting intensifies.
In a significant development, anti-regime armed groups shot down one of the two helicopters that had taken off from Hama Military Airport near the city center. The second helicopter, which was hit, was forced to make an emergency landing.
The opposition forces also clashed with the regime forces west of the city, seizing the villages of Erze, al-Wahshiyya, Kafrtun, and Yadgun. They are now reportedly advancing towards Hama Military Airport, located southwest of the city center.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham leader calls for ‘conquest with no revenge’
In a video message, al Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-
Qaida-linked terrorist group; formally known as the Nusra Front, said, ‘I announce to you that your mujahideen brothers have began entering Hama.’
Jolani said there would be “no revenge” after his group on Thursday seized the Syrian city of Hama, where government forces crushed an uprising in 1982.
“I ask God almighty that it be a conquest with no revenge,” Jolani said in a video message on the Telegram channel of the rebel factions’ joint operations room, after announcing the fighters had entered Hama “to cleanse the wound that has endured in Syria for 40 years”.
Around 210 kilometres (130 miles) north of the capital Damascus, Hama is strategic because of its location between Syria‘s second city Aleppo — which rebels took on December 1 — and Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad’s power base.
Local sources aldo indicate that an opposition led offensive against the Homs might start short after capturing Hama.
