Syrian Rebels Rebut City Hama

JAKARTA - Syrian rebels captured the important city of Hama, bringing a major victory to the rebels after a swift attack in northern Syria.

This incident dealt a new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his allies Russia and Iran.

The Syrian army said they were deployed out of town to save civilian lives and prevent fighting in urban areas.

Rebels said they were preparing to continue moving south towards Homs, the major Syrian intersection city that connects the capital Damascus to the north and coast.

"The time has come," the insurgent operating room said in an online post, calling on city residents to rise in the revolution.

Al Jazeera television broadcast what it said was a rebel show in Hama, some of them greeting civilians near the roundabout while others were driving military vehicles and MOpeds.

The rebels seized the main city of Aleppo in the north last week and have since continued to move south from their enclave in northwestern Syria. Fighting has been going on in villages outside Hama for two days.

The mention of the city of Hama, which was in the hands of the government during a civil war sparked by the uprising against Assad in 2011, will send a shock wave throughout Damascus and fear of continuing the insurgent movement to the south.

Assad relies heavily on the support of Russia and Iran during the years of the most intense conflict, helping it retake most of the region and largest cities before the front lines are frozen in 2020.

The collapse of pro-government forces in northern Syria over the past week underscores the problems the alliance has faced since then.