Syrian army enters Hama countryside with "largest" military convoy

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Syrian army announced it had entered the Hama countryside with its "largest" military convoy to support frontline forces and fully secure the area around the 25th Division headquarters and the city of Hama.

Media outlets reported that the Syrian army reinforced defenses on Hama province's northern and western borders, where it is engaged in “intense” battles with armed factions, pushing them more than 20 kilometers from the city's neighborhoods. "Efforts are underway to reclaim several sites and towns seized by terrorist groups,” the army added.

Meanwhile, field sources in Hama city told Al-Mayadeen TV that the Syrian army is advancing on multiple fronts, cutting off militants' supply lines and securing areas they had vacated. “The army is also receiving significant popular support in its operations against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and affiliated groups,” they said.

The sources reported that militant casualties this week have exceeded 1,600 from HTS and its affiliated groups.

This comes as the Syrian army, supported by Russian air cover, conducts heavy airstrikes on Idlib and Aleppo countrysides. The army also affirmed that explosions in Homs were caused by airstrikes from both the Syrian and Russian air forces.

On the other side, opposition militants are holding around 3,000 civilians captive in Aleppo, with many calls from the city urging pressure on the militants to open safe passages for civilians to leave, Al-Mayadeen TV reported.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), on Tuesday, HTS-led armed factions took control of 18 villages and towns in Hama province, bringing them within 6 kilometers of Hama city, the provincial capital.

Among the villages and towns seized by the factions were Abu Laffa, Al-Mustahira, Bayoud, Tharwat Al-Rahjan, Northern Sarha, Southern Sarha, and the strategic town of Maar Shahour on the city's outskirts.

Later, the advancing factions, coming from three fronts toward Hama city, seized new positions, including the Mechanized School and Brigade 87. Syrian military helicopters also targeted militant positions in Maardes, north of the city.

However, the SOHR affirmed that HTS and its allies, during the "Deterring Aggression" operation, failed to capture Mount Zain Al-Abidin near Hama. Intense clashes with government forces, who launched a counteroffensive after midnight Tuesday-Wednesday with air support, resulted in the recapture of Kafr'a village and Maar Shahour, pushing HTS back by about 10 kilometers from Hama city.

According to the Observatory, since the launch of the "Deterring Aggression" operation on November 27, the death toll has risen to 605, including 245 from HTS, 54 from the National Army factions, and 107 civilians.