Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters, affiliated with al-Qaeda, have entered northeastern neighbourhoods of Hama, Syria, following intense fighting, local radio station Sham FM reported. The Syrian army confirmed the rebel incursion after fierce battles and announced a redeployment of forces outside the city.
The Syrian Defence Ministry reported that government forces engaged in heavy fighting Wednesday in Hama province, killing at least 300 HTS militants, according to their statement. “Our forces are targeting terrorist gatherings in depth and their convoys on all movement axes using artillery, rockets, and joint Syrian-Russian warplanes,” the ministry said. The statement added that more than 25 drones were downed, and reinforcements were deployed to prevent further rebel advances.
Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, detailed the HTS advance, stating that the group and allied factions pushed from three fronts – north, northeast, and west – aiming to reach Hama city. “Hama is a battle of attrition; that’s why there’s a media campaign on social media,” Abdulrahman said.
He noted that while the Syrian army pushed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham back 15 kilometres from Hama in the morning, by evening, HTS had cut off the Syrian Desert road and deployed its “Red Bands” elite units to the northern outskirts of Hama. The fighting, he added, involves advances and retreats by both sides, unlike the battle for Aleppo.
Meanwhile, in Deir el-Zour province, life in the government-held city remained normal despite nearby clashes, Sham FM reported. This followed an unsuccessful Kurdish-led militia attack on government positions and military sites, targeting seven villages in the Deir al-Zour countryside.
In Aleppo, which fell to the Islamist rebels on Friday, Sham FM reported widespread theft in several homes and neighbourhoods, attributed to escaped criminals from Aleppo Central Prison. “Civil society organizations are urging residents to secure their homes and avoid interaction with these armed groups,” the report stated. The city also experienced intermittent communication disruptions, including partial outages of cellular networks and internet services.
The escalating conflict in Hama and other regions highlights the intensified fighting between Syrian government forces and rebel groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls parts of northwest Syria. The United Nations and humanitarian organisations have repeatedly called for civilian protection and unimpeded aid delivery, expressing concern for the Syrian population.
