Syrian Rebels Mulai Gempur Kota Hama

Syria's condition in the midst of a government military war with rebels/PHOTO via X The White Helmets @SyriaCivivilDef

JAKARTA - Syrian rebels began carrying out attacks on Hama, a major city where pro-government forces backed by Russia's intense airstrikes are trying to prevent the rapid progress of the rebels.

rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany posted on the rebel social media that he began to penetrate Hama. State media previously reported that pro-government forces had succeeded in preventing the attack.

Rebels have struggled to enter the Hama since Tuesday and there was heavy fighting overnight with Syrian soldiers and Iran-backed allied militia groups backed by Russian bombings, both sides said.

The rebels seized the main city in northern Aleppo last week and have since moved south from their enclave in northwestern Syria, reaching a strategic hill north of Hama on Tuesday and advancing to the east and west sides of the city on Wednesday.

Hama remained in the hands of the government during the civil war, which erupted in 2011 as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

His fall into another resurgence would lead to a shock wave in Damascus and its allies, Russia and Iran.

The city is located more than a third of the trip from Aleppo to Damascus and the seizure of the city will pave the way for the progress of rebels in Homs, the main central city that serves as a road crossing connecting Syria's most populous areas.

Pest is also important in controlling two major cities with a large minority religious community, Muhrada which is home to many Christians and Salamiya where there are many Ismaili Muslims.

The most powerful rebel faction is Islamic militant Sunni Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. His leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani promised to protect minority religious groups in Syria, but many are still afraid of rebels.