Islamist Forces Attempt to Enter the Syrian City of Hama
X/ @clashreport
December 5, 2024 Hour: 8:45 am
At least 727 people have died since the start of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s offensive.
In the early hours of Thursday, the alliance of Islamist and pro-Turkish factions led by the Levant Liberation Committee continues to struggle to enter the strategic city of Hama, where intense clashes with Damascus’s army persist.
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Fighters from this group, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Arabic, intensified their attacks on Jabal Zeinedin, a strategic mountain whose control would open the path toward the city.
Their elite force, “Al-Asa’ib al-Hamra” or Red Brigades, was forced to retreat on Wednesday night from areas they had advanced into in recent hours due to heavy bombing by Russian aviation, which is supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Intense Fighting
Fierce battles are also ongoing near the Al-Mazarib Bridge in the eastern Hama area, which is considered strategically crucial as it opens the route to the Homs province further south.
“Our forces operating on the outskirts of Hama are engaged in violent battles against armed terrorist organizations, which have suffered significant losses in lives and equipment,” said a Syrian military source quoted by the SANA agency.
On the outskirts of Hama, Syrian army forces are stationed at advanced points and have established impenetrable defensive lines to counter any infiltration attempts. Meanwhile, HTS spokesperson Hasan Abdelghani stated that their fighters are “advancing from several axes toward Hama.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that Damascus’s forces have regained some areas of Hama province in recent hours. This success was attributed to “intense artillery and missile shelling, along with heavy Syrian and Russian airstrikes,” which caused the HTS attack to fail for the second time.
On Nov. 27, HTS, Al-Qaeda’s former affiliate in Syria, launched an offensive in northwestern Syria. It seized large territories in the Idlib and Aleppo provinces and attempted to penetrate the Hama province.
The group, which also includes pro-Turkish factions, has concentrated its attacks on the south for three days, targeting the M5 highway. This route passes through Hama and its control would pave the way toward the next major government-controlled Syrian city, Homs.
Calm in Idlib and Aleppo
Idlib, previously the only Islamist stronghold before the start of their offensive, awoke calm on Thursday following Syrian and Russian airstrikes against terrorist positions.
In Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, which the Islamists invaded last Friday, civilian teams are removing burnt vehicles, reopening roads, and cleaning public squares. While the situation remains calm in the city, residents have experienced a sharp increase in the prices of food and basic goods.
In Syria, at least 727 people have died since the start of HTS’s offensive, including 111 civilians. The remainder includes 371 HTS fighters, 220 Syrian soldiers—23 of whom were officers—and 25 pro-Iranian militiamen supporting the Syrian army, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
teleSUR/ JF Sources: EFE – SANA
