The Syrian government forces launched a counterattack on Wednesday against rebel groups led by Islamists near the critical city of Hama, according to a war monitor. This comes after significant losses in recent battles.
Hama, located in central Syria, is a crucial strategic point for the army, serving as a protective barrier for Damascus, the nation’s capital and center of power.
The renewed fighting follows a swift offensive by Islamist-led rebels, who gained control of large areas under President Bashar Al Assad’s rule within days. One of their most notable achievements was taking over Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, which had remained under government control throughout the decade-long war.
In Aleppo, a medical student working at a hospital described staff shortages, with departments operating at half capacity. “We handle emergencies with limited resources,” he shared anonymously.
While the rebels initially faced little opposition, the battle around Hama has become extremely intense. The city has a tragic history, being the site of a massacre in the 1980s targeting individuals associated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Years later, Hama became a hotspot for protests during the early days of Syria’s 2011 pro-democracy movement, which eventually escalated into civil war.
By Tuesday, rebel forces had advanced to the outskirts of Hama, triggering mass displacement. Images captured by AFP showed residents fleeing from Suran, a nearby town, carrying belongings on vehicles. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that government forces, supported by airstrikes, launched a counteroffensive on Wednesday against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions.
Government troops pushed the rebels back about 10 kilometers from the provincial capital, with heavy clashes reported. Syrian state news agency SANA confirmed the ongoing battles, describing them as operations against “terrorist groups” in the region.
Wassim, a delivery driver from Hama, shared his fear amid the constant bombing. “The sounds are terrifying. I have no safe place to go, so I’ll stay at home,” he said.
Hama province, while historically opposing Assad’s rule, also has a significant Alawite population, aligned with Assad’s sect of Shia Islam.
The rebel offensive began on November 27, coinciding with a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, a group allied with Assad and backed by Iran. Hezbollah, however, has faced setbacks in its conflict with Israel, forcing it to redirect resources back to Lebanon.
Russia has been a key supporter of Assad since intervening in Syria’s war in 2015, but its ongoing involvement in Ukraine has limited its focus. Despite this, Russian forces are conducting joint airstrikes with the Syrian military in Hama, as confirmed by the Observatory.
Moscow stated that Russia, Iran, and Turkey remain in close contact regarding Syria’s conflict. While Russia and Iran back Assad, Turkey supports the opposition.
Although Syria’s war had been relatively quiet in recent years, analysts warned that the unresolved conflict was likely to resurface. Since last Wednesday, the UN reports that 50,000 people have been displaced by the violence. The Observatory recorded 602 deaths, including 104 civilians.
Syria’s civil war has killed over 500,000 people since 2011, forcing millions to flee. Many who joined the initial anti-government protests are now either dead, imprisoned, or exiled.
Rim Turkmani, from the London School of Economics, explained that while Assad appeared to have won, unresolved tensions made renewed violence inevitable.
Rebel forces, led by HTS, may struggle to maintain control of their new territory. “They are highly organized and ideologically driven, but their rapid expansion will likely overextend their capacity to govern these areas,” Turkmani said.
