Illustrative image.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) repelled yet another attack on the central city of Hama over the night of December 4 and 5, ambushing hundreds of militants from al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies in the outskirts of the city.
The militants launched the attack after reportedly securing large parts of Hama’s eastern and western outskirts within a few hours.
Citing a Syrian military official, Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV said that the militants attempted to storm the strategic Zayn al-Abidin mount to the north of Hama. However, they fell into an ambush set by the SAA. According to the Lebanese news channel, over 300 militants, including members of HTS’ elite Red Bands units, were killed.
In addition, intense Syrian and Russian airstrikes hit the militants in the outskirts of Hama, as well as the main routes they used to reach the city.
The Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria said that the strikes took out 120 terrorists, 24 vehicles, a main battle tank and an ammunition depot.
Aside from the battles around Hama city, HTS and its allies had expanded their operations in the eastern countryside of Hama on December 4.
The militants said that they captured the key town of al-Sa’an, an access point to the vast desert in central Syria known as Badiya, and reached the outskirts of the town of Salamiyah. However, Al-Mayadeen reported that the attack on al-Sa’an was repelled.
While the militants are clearly struggling around Hama city, they will not likely cease their attacks. Meanwhile, the SAA continues to send reinforcements to the governorate, with reports of thousands of locals enlisting to fight against the militants.
The ongoing attacks on the city are a part of the HTS-led large-scale offensive, dubbed Operation Deterrence of Aggression, which saw the militants capturing some 800 square kilometers in northern and northwestern Syria since its start on November 27.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
