Syrian Rebels Capture Key City of Hama in Fresh Blow to Assad After Aleppo Takeover

Syria: Days after seizing control of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, insurgents led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), have now gained control over another key city 'Hama'. This comes as another major blow to the regime of Syria President Bashar al-Assad.

The HTS-led rebel coalition entered Hama’s eastern suburbs on Thursday morning and were pushing west by the afternoon when government forces announced their withdrawal.

Visuals have emerged wherein the insurgents can be seen inside Hama Governor's palace in the city center. Notably, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) left the palace without any fight with the rebels after they captured it. The video further shows a militant, standing along his group inside the palace, recording the video while chanting slogans as a mark to depict their victory.  

Last week, the Syrian rebel groups launched a surprise attack, forcing the Syrian army to redeploy and announce a “temporary withdrawal”. The Syrian rebels entered Aleppo just three days into their surprise offensive. The offensive has triggered a fresh wave of conflict amidst a 13-year-long civil war. According to Syrian military, dozens of soldiers lost their lives in the fighting against rebels. Rebels entry in Aleppo marked the first time that they set foot in the country’s second-largest city since government forces recaptured the city in 2016.

Later on Sunday, the rebel forces reportedly turned their approach southward and attempted to gain control of Hama, a city south of Aleppo. Despite the concerning development, President Assad on Sunday vowed that Syria would “defend its stability and its territorial integrity in the face of terrorists and their supporters.” 

The surprise offensive, which began Wednesday, is the first significant flare-up in years between the Syrian opposition and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who has ruled the war-hit nation since 2000. Meanwhile, in response to the rebels advancement, the government of Syria and Russia have united forces to regain control of rebel-occupied territory.

What We Know So Far

The rebels who have retained control of Idlib since 2020, advanced eastward toward Aleppo in what came as a "surprise attack" for many, on Wednesday. Two days later, the insurgents gained control of Aleppo, forcing the military to announce a “temporary withdrawal”. Later on Saturday, the Syrian military confirmed the deaths of dozens of soldiers in the fighting. After reigniting the conflict which laid dormant for years, the militants, on Sunday reportedly turned their approach southward and attempted to seize control of Hama, a city south of Aleppo. On Thursday, the rebels declared their victory over Hama.

In a call with foreign officials, Assad vowed to defeat the insurgency. “Terrorism only understands the language of force, which is the language we will break and eliminate it with, regardless of its supporters and sponsors,” he said.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters after 2011 protests against Assad's rule turned into an all-out war. After appearing to be losing control of the country to the rebels, the Aleppo battle secured Assad's hold on strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling areas on the periphery.

The latest development comes at a time when the West Asia is already mired in the Israel-Palestine conflict.