Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama after the Syrian army withdrew from the strategically important central city on Thursday. The victory was achieved with the help of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). Rebel forces reached the gates of Hama city.
Instead of fighting, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) left the palace without any fight with the rebels, after they captured it. This is seen as a devastating blow to President Bashar Al-Assad and his army. This marks the second major victory of HTS, which also captured Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city last week. The offensive sparked a civil conflict that had been mostly dormant for years, dealing Assad and his supporters in Iran and Russia a serious blow.
Hama, strategically located at a key crossroads in western-central Syria, had been important in the demographic arena. It offers direct supply lines between Damascus and Aleppo. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Rebels have been unable to seize the city.
It began when the government cracked down on protests against President Assad, who has been in power since 2000. The protests escalated into an armed rebellion, plunging the country into full-scale civil war. The next target, the city of Homs, about 165 kilometers (100 miles) from the capital, Damascus, the rebels have now vowed to continue their advance southward.
