Hama under siege: Anti-Assad forces capture 20 villages, military sites VIDEO

Anti-government armed groups have clashed with the forces of Bashar al-Assad’s regime approximately 3 to 4 kilometres from the centre of Hama, Syria, taking control of 20 additional villages.

The city is now surrounded on three sides, with clashes ongoing, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

More than 100 Syrian soldiers have been reported killed during the fighting. The groups have also seized strategic sites, including a school for armoured forces, the Khattab arsenal, the Suruj military base, and the 25th Brigade in central Hama, capturing large quantities of armoured vehicles and other weapons.

🚨Türkistan İslam Partisi, Hama’nın Suran kasabasını Suriye Rejimi’nden ele geçirdiği anların görüntülerini yayınladı. pic.twitter.com/6GM2n3Oowz

— Conflict (@ConflictTR) December 4, 2024

Note that, fierce fighting continues in northern Syria, with intense clashes reported around the city of Hama. Wassim, a 36-year-old delivery driver from the area, described the situation as "really terrifying," noting that the constant bombardment was clearly audible. "I’ll stay home because I have nowhere else to flee to," he said.

Government forces, bolstered by a 50% pay increase for career soldiers, have been engaged in heavy combat with advancing rebels. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that "fierce battles" have been ongoing since the morning, with "joint Syrian-Russian warplanes" involved in the effort.

Colossal equipment losses for Assad regime forces during their retreat along the M5 highway between Aleppo and Hama.

Confirmed losses include:
▪️12 tanks (3 T-72M, 4 T-62, 2 T-55MV, 3 T-55),
▪️7 BMPs (1 BMP-2, 6 BMP-1),
▪️4 BREM-1 vehicles,
▪️1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer,… pic.twitter.com/UVejkOj8Tu

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 4, 2024

The Observatory for Human Rights added that in the past 24 hours, "large military convoys" carrying tanks, weapons, and troops have arrived in Hama and its outskirts.

The fighting has been concentrated near areas predominantly inhabited by Alawites, the sect to which President Assad belongs. Regime forces, supported by Russian and Iranian officers, reportedly repelled a rebel assault northwest of Hama.

In a tragic development, award-winning Syrian photographer Anas Alkharboutli was killed in an airstrike near Hama.

The rebel offensive, which began on November 27, coincided with a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Despite ongoing support for Assad from Russia and Iran, Türkiye has backed the opposition and has been involved in diplomatic discussions about the conflict.

The United Nations reported that the fighting has displaced over 115,000 people across Idlib and northern Aleppo. Türkiye, hosting three million Syrian refugees, warned that it may be too soon to expect large-scale returns to Aleppo amid the ongoing violence.

By Aghakazim Guliyev