Syrian Rebels Capture Hama, Country's Fourth Largest City
Syrian rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the central city of Hama, the fourth largest city in the country, on Thursday after days of intense fighting. The Syrian army said it withdrew from the city after its defense lines were broken, adding that it wanted to protect civilians....
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Facts
- Syrian rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the central city of Hama, the fourth largest city in the country, on Thursday after days of intense fighting. The Syrian army said it withdrew from the city after its defense lines were broken, adding that it wanted to protect civilians.[1]
- Rebel forces had surrounded the city in recent days before entering it. The rebels also captured Hama's military airport, one of the largest in Syria which has been used to strike the rebels, as well as the police command headquarters and the central prison.[2]
- Hundreds of detainees were also released from the central prison. The rebels are reportedly now preparing to march on Homs, which connects the capital Damascus to the country's coastal regions.[3]
- Russia, which supports the Syrian government, said that it was 'closely monitoring' the situation in Syria. Some Iranian-aligned Iraqi fighters entered Syria earlier this week to bolster the government's defenses, but the details of their deployment are unclear.[4][5]
- The rebels' capture of Hama comes only days after they captured Syria's second largest city, Aleppo. The Kurdish-dominated and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have remained in Aleppo's Kurdish districts, with some minor clashes with rebel forces being reported.[6][7]
- HTS is the current iteration of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, though the group has said that it cut ties with al-Qaeda. It is a US-designated terrorist organization. Rebel factions directly supported by Turkey have also participated in the HTS-led offensive.[8]
Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]Al Jazeera, [3]CNN, [4]Guardian, [5]Reuters, [6]NPR Online News, [7]The National and [8]New York Times.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Guardian. The Syrian rebels continue to make swift progress against the Assad regime. The regime's corruption and inability to govern has hollowed out the Syrian state to the point the army can no longer effectively defend government-held territory. Assad may soon fall.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Tehran Times. What is happening in Syria is a Western and Israeli-backed plot to weaken Iran and the axis of resistance. Though the Western media loves to fawn over the 'Syrian rebels,' in reality, Syria is facing a terrorist onslaught made up of jihadists and foreign fighters from across the world.
