Syrian rebels seize Hama: Why city is crucial for Assad
Illustrative photo: Syrian rebels entered Hama (Getty Images)
Syrian rebels have entered the key city of Hama, forcing Bashar al-Assad's government forces to abandon their positions after several days of intense fighting, Reuters reports.
The Syrian army officially announced its withdrawal, stating that redeploying outside the city was aimed "to preserve civilians' lives and prevent urban combat."
According to the sources, the rebels took control of the northeastern areas of Hama, including the central prison, and freed the detainees.
This operation is reported to be a continuation of the successful rebel offensive that began with the capture of Aleppo last week.
Strategic importance of Hama
The city of Hama, which had remained under government control throughout the conflict, holds strategic importance as it lies one-third of the way between Aleppo and Damascus.
Its loss paves the way for rebels to advance toward Homs, the country's central city and important transport hub.
Reports indicate that civilians greeted the rebels with cheers, as shown on the Al Jazeera channel.
At the same time, the fall of Hama has become a serious blow to Assad's regime and its allies, Russia and Iran.
Earlier, rebels surrounded Hama from three sides following a lightning offensive. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces left only one escape route from the city toward Homs. Hama is now under rebel control.
War in Syria
Last week, Syria witnessed large-scale clashes between rebels of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, units of the Syrian National Army, and the forces of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Russia and Iran have long supported Assad's regime.
According to some sources, Turkey supports the rebels, although this information has not been officially confirmed.
Earlier, on December 1, rebels completely took control of the Syrian city of Aleppo.
Following this, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported that Russian military forces had already left the city of Hama and were fleeing Damascus.
In addition, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Russia's accusations regarding Ukraine's alleged involvement in the escalation in Syria.
