Hama under siege: Islamist advance endangers Assad's power!

Hama under siege: Islamist advance endangers Assad's power!

A dramatic advance of Islamist fighters has reached the strategically important city of Hama in Syria. According to report the Syrian observation center for human rights If the rebels have penetrated the city from several sides and run violent fights with the troops of the Assad regime. The military offensive began on Thursday and brings enormous tensions with it because the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has separated the streets between Hama, Raqqa and Aleppo, which continues to escalate the situation. In addition, three villages east of Hama have already been taken. The government troops desperately try to prevent Hama's loss by mobilizing reinforcements from other parts of the country.

In the city itself, the fights are loud Daily mirror Already in progress, while Russian fighter jets fly air strikes on rebel groups. The Sana news agency claims that the situation in Hama is "normal and safe," which is in strong contrast to the reports of activists who describe the reality on the ground, where the rebels quickly move towards the city center. According to a Syrian expert, the country's fate in Hama could decide, which further underlines the strategic importance of the city.

Enclosed civilian population and refugee crisis

The continuing fights have already led to a humanitarian crisis, since over 150,000 people are on the run due to violence, according to the United Nations. This is done in a context in which HTS and their allies, who have just conquered control over Aleppo, take action against the Assad troops aggressively. Since the beginning of this offensive, more than 700 people have been killed, including numerous fighters and civilians. The Syrian Civil War, which has been raging since 2011, has fled to millions of people, and there are fears that these figures will continue to increase in the coming days.