File image.
Militants led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reached on December 6 the outskirts of the central Syrian city of Homs, just a day after capturing the city of Hama some 45 kilometers to the north.
Moving in small units, the militants reached the towns of al-Rastan and Talbiseh in the northern Homs countryside in the morning. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) failed to stop the militants’ advance despite blowing up the main bridge on the Orontes River.
Later in the morning, it was reported that HTS and its allies have reached the town of AlDar Alkabera, which is located less than 5 kilometers away from Homs city center.
Intense Syrian and Russian airstrikes hit the militants as they advanced towards Homs. The Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria said that the strikes neutralized 300 militants, nine multiple launch rocket systems, seven tanks, 28 combat armored vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, a command post, an ammunition depot and a drone depot.
The SAA is reportedly preparing defenses and deploying reinforcements in Homs city. Many of the civilians were evacuated overnight.
The militants attack in Homs is a part of a large-scale offensive, codenamed Operation Deterrence of Aggression, that was launched by HTS and its allies on November 27. The militants have so far captured more than 800 square kilometers, including the cities of Hama and Aleppo.
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