Civil War
Activists: Rebels surround the city of Hama in western Syria
Jihadist rebels continue to advance in northwest Syria. After Aleppo, they are facing another big city.
According to activists, the Islamist rebel alliance in Syria has surrounded the city of Hama in western Syria.
The rebels led by the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have taken control of several neighboring villages in the west, south and north in order to invade Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Some of the places are only three kilometers away from the big city.
There had previously been reports that the insurgents were already in Hama. Syrian military circles rejected the reports.
After the rapid advance of the Islamist rebels, ruler Bashar al-Assad’s army began a counteroffensive last night. The insurgents were initially pushed back from Hama around ten kilometers to the north, as the British-based observatory reported.
The rebels began their offensive in northwest Syria in the middle of last week and took control of Aleppo, the country’s second largest city, over the weekend. The front line has now moved around 130 kilometers south around the city of Hama.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
