Syria: Opposition Factions Reach Hama’s Outskirts from Multiple Fronts

Anti-government fighters pose for a picture at the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province on December 3, 2024. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Anti-government fighters pose for a picture at the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province on December 3, 2024. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
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Syria: Opposition Factions Reach Hama’s Outskirts from Multiple Fronts

Anti-government fighters pose for a picture at the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province on December 3, 2024. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Anti-government fighters pose for a picture at the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province on December 3, 2024. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)

Opposition factions in northwest Syria have reached the outskirts of Hama, advancing from several directions, an opposition leader, Hassan Abdel Ghani, said on Tuesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy fighting in northern Hama province, a key region linking Aleppo to Damascus. Russian and Syrian warplanes have launched dozens of airstrikes on opposition positions.

Opposition fighters have captured several areas, the Observatory said.

An AFP photographer saw abandoned tanks and vehicles left by Syrian forces on roads near Hama. The Syrian army has sent reinforcements to slow the opposition's advance, which has intensified over the past two days.

An opposition fighter, Abu Al-Huda Al-Sourani, said they are pushing towards Hama after securing nearby towns. On Monday, opposition fighters shelled the city, killing six civilians, the Observatory reported.

Abdel Ghani said earlier that the Syrian army is facing “major collapses” as the opposiont makes progress near Hama.

Hama city and nearby areas are seeing a massive exodus as intense battles continue between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), its allied factions, and Syrian government forces.

HTS and its allies, under the “Deterring Aggression” operation, captured several towns in northern Hama, including Taybat al-Imam, Halfaya, Souran, and Maardas, after heavy clashes and government airstrikes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of families fled western Hama villages like Joreen and Shatha toward Latakia. Others left northern Hama areas and parts of Hama city, seeking safety in Homs or southern villages.

This surge in violence comes as Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, fell out of government control for the first time since 2011, with HTS and Turkish-backed factions taking over most of it.

The Observatory reported 571 deaths, including 98 civilians, since fighting escalated on November 27. The UN said more than 48,500 people, mostly children, have fled Idlib and northern Aleppo in recent days.

 



Iran Confirms Receiving 'Messages' from New Syrian Government

Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP
Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP
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Iran Confirms Receiving 'Messages' from New Syrian Government

Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP
Western countries successfully moved a resolution at the IAEA to censure Iran over its nuclear program - AFP

Iran said Saturday that it had received messages from the new government in Damascus following the ouster of its longtime Syrian ally, former president Bashar al-Assad, AFP reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is indirectly in contact with Damascus," Tehran's special envoy for Syrian affairs Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA news agency.

The diplomat said Iran had "also received messages" from Syria, but did not specify the intermediary country facilitating the communication.

Sheibani was responding to a question about recent comments by Syria's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, regarding communications with Iran, according to IRNA.

"Our view of the developments in Syria and the restoration of relations with Damascus is forward-looking," Sheibani said, emphasizing that Iran was "thoughtfully" monitoring the situation there.

Iran, a staunch ally of Assad's regime, evacuated its diplomatic mission in Syria in December when opposition forces, led by current interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, overthrew the government.

Sharaa said in December that Syria "cannot continue without relations with an important regional country like Iran".

He added that ties between Damascus and Tehran "must be based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries and non-interference in the affairs of both countries".

Iran had provided assistance to Assad during Syria's civil war, helping him claw back control of swathes of the country.

Sheibani, who previously served as Iran's ambassador to Syria, reiterated Tehran's position that the "future and destiny" of Syria must be determined by Syrians alone.

"The stability and peace of Syria are of particular importance to us, and we are against any foreign interference in the affairs of this country," he said.