US denies involvement in escalating conflict in Syria

The United States has firmly denied any involvement in the unfolding conflict in northwestern Syria, where armed anti-regime groups recently captured the strategic city of Hama.

“We’re certainly monitoring the situation closely,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters on Thursday. “The US has no role in what’s happening right now in terms of northwestern Syria and the HTS and their operations and the Syrian regime.”

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group designated as a terrorist organization by both the US and the UN, spearheaded the offensive. HTS, which emerged from al-Qaeda before severing ties in 2017, has played a central role in the recent escalation.

Maj. Gen. Ryder underscored the broader instability created by the conflict. “The Syrian civil war has been going on for a while. This is a new development in that war. But again, we’re monitoring closely, very aware of the destabilizing effect. As we’ve said earlier, we call on all parties to de-escalate, to ensure the protection of minority groups in the region. We don’t want to see more death and destruction,” he said.

On Thursday, the Syrian regime’s military confirmed in a written statement its withdrawal from Hama, citing a redeployment to the city’s outskirts after anti-regime forces seized control. This marks a significant milestone in the groups’ rapid offensive against regime forces.

Russian air support continues to bolster Syrian regime forces as clashes persist across the region. Meanwhile, anti-regime groups have expanded their territorial gains, capturing central Aleppo on November 30 and seizing the town of Khan Shaykhun, effectively consolidating control over most of Idlib province.