Syria: Fierce Battles Between Regime Forces and Opposition Factions in Hama Countryside

Intense overnight airstrikes drove Syrian rebels from the edge of Hama, a major city whose fall will put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, the two warring sides said on Wednesday.

The speed of their attack has worried Assad’s allies, with Iran saying on Tuesday it would consider sending forces if asked and Russia saying the “terrorist aggression” against Syria should end as soon as possible.

Rebels advanced last week, capturing the Syrian city of Aleppo and most of the surrounding countryside, and on Tuesday came within a few kilometers of Hama.

Iraqi fighters in support of Assad

Iranian-backed Iraqi fighters have flocked to Syria in a show of support for Assad, whose government has launched a new recruitment drive with checkpoints in Damascus and eastern Deir al-Zor signing up young men to join the army, residents said. .

State media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was intense fighting around Jabal Zain al-Abidin, a hill 5 kilometers northeast of Hama overlooking the main road into the city.

A rebel commander in the area, Abu al-Qaqa, said: “Heavy enemy bombardment forced us to withdraw. Another source said the failure to capture Jabal Zain al-Abidin meant failure in the rebel advance towards Hama.

Attacks targeting medical centers

Iran-backed militia groups helped bolster government fronts in Hama, where military units regrouped after the loss of Aleppo, rebel and military sources said. Syrian state media reported that reinforcements had arrived on Tuesday.

Russian and government bombardment of the rebel enclave in the northwest has intensified in recent days, with airstrikes targeting residential areas and medical centers in Aleppo and Idlib, residents and rescuers said.

Syrian authorities could not immediately be reached by Reuters. Damascus rarely comments on specific allegations, but has previously said they do not target civilians and that the allegations are aimed at undermining Syria.

Assad has the support of Iran and Hezbollah

Families who returned to their homes in areas retaken by the rebels were again forced to flee due to heavy airstrikes.

The region, rocked by conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, has been further destabilized by the protracted conflict in Syria, which has involved regional and global powers since 2011 and strengthened jihadist militant groups.

The situation on the front was resolved in 2020 with agreements between Russia, Iran and Turkey, but by then hundreds of thousands of Syrians had been killed and millions had been displaced within the country or sent into exile abroad as refugees.

The country has since been divided, with Assad holding most of the territory and backed by the Russian air force and a coalition of Iranian-backed regional militias, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Rebels hold a large enclave in the northwest, Turkish forces are in a belt along the northern border, and a US-led coalition backed by the Kurds is in the northeast.

The rebels advanced last week as Russia focused on the war in Ukraine and Hezbollah’s leadership was killed in the war with Israel in Lebanon.