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On December 5, the Syrian army announced its withdrawal from the central city of Hama after amid fighting with rebel forces.
In an official statement, the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces said that over the past few days, Syrian troops have “fought fierce battles” to repel the “violent and successive” attacks launched by militants.
The statement added that the intensification of the fighting and the rising death toll prompted the military to withdraw its units.
According to the official statement, the decision was made in order “to preserve the lives of civilians” and not to involve them in battles. It also said that the militants suffered “heavy losses” during the clashes.
The military added that it “will continue to carry out its national duty in reclaiming the areas entered by terrorist organizations.”
As of 14:00 local time, the city of Hama de-facto fell into the hands of rebel forces.
Earlier on the same day, SouthFront reported that rebels intensified attacks on the city (LINK TO THE ARTICLE):
Militants led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) renewed their attack on the city of Hama in central Syria on December 5 morning as a part of their ongoing large-scale offensive against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), codenamed Operation Deterrence of Aggression.
The militants attacked Hama from the eastern, northern and northeastern direction, mainly targeting the strategic Zayn al-Abidin mount and the al-Mizrab brigade, which leads into the eastern districts of the city.
While media sources linked to HTS and its allies alleged that the militants broke through the defenses of the SAA, a military official told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that the army was still in control of the entire city, including the al-Mizrab brigade.
Syrian and Russian warplanes were targeting militants in the northern Hama countryside and killing “dozens” of them, the unnamed official said.
“All our forces, with their vehicles and equipment deployed on the outskirts of the city, are positioned at advanced points and form impregnable defensive lines against any terrorist infiltration attempt,” he added.
Overnight, the SAA repelled a similar attack on Hama city, ambushing some 300 militants, including members of HTS elite units, close to Zayn al-Abidin.
Operation Deterrence of Aggression, which was launched by HTS and its allies on November 27, saw the militants capturing some 800 square kilometers in northern and northwestern Syria, including the city of Aleppo, since its beginning on November 27.
Despite taking heavy losses, the militants will not likely back down around Hama city as they seek to capitalize on their early successes in Aleppo and Idlib.
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