Hama Countryside: Massive Syrian Army Reinforcements and “Mass Fleeing” of Militants

3rd December 2024

3 minutes read

Hama Countryside: Massive Syrian Army Reinforcements and “Mass Fleeing” of Militants

Four days after an attack by armed factions in Aleppo province (northwest Syria), the Syrian Army has made significant progress in the Hama countryside, bolstered by large-scale military reinforcements.

On Sunday, the Syrian Army announced it had regained control of northern Hama, while its air defenses shot down a drone belonging to armed factions over the city of Masyaf, west of Hama.

Last Wednesday morning, armed factions launched an offensive in Aleppo province, advancing on Thursday and seizing control of several new villages, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Syrian Chief of Staff General Abdelkarim inspected the forward positions recaptured by the army in northern Hama to assess the ongoing missions carried out by the armed forces in this area.

The Syrian news agency quoted a military source stating that “additional military reinforcements, including personnel, heavy equipment, and rocket launchers, have arrived in northern Hama to support and strengthen advances on this axis.”

Mass Fleeing

The reinforcements arrived amid a “mass fleeing of elements from armed groups,” according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

The ministry added that joint Syrian-Russian airstrikes have intensified, precisely targeting the fleeing terrorists’ movements, their positions, headquarters, and weapon and ammunition depots, causing significant casualties with dozens killed and wounded.

A Syrian military source confirmed that “dozens of terrorists were killed or injured near the town of Safira in eastern Aleppo countryside following joint airstrikes.”

In a separate attack, the source stated that “on Sunday evening, joint Syrian-Russian airstrikes targeted a convoy of terrorist groups consisting of dozens of vehicles and trucks carrying ammunition and fighters in the eastern Idleb countryside, completely destroying it.”

In a well-executed ambush, the Syrian Army eliminated a terrorist group in the village of Zaabé in northern Hama.

Syrian media revealed that the group had entered the village aboard a pickup truck equipped with a heavy machine gun and two motorcycles.

Aleppo Out of Control

For the first time since the conflict began in 2011, Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, has fallen out of government control, with “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” militias and allied factions seizing all neighborhoods, according to the Observatory on Sunday.

Amid these rapid developments, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi reaffirmed his country’s “firm support” for Syrian authorities before his arrival in Damascus on Sunday, while President Bashar al-Assad vowed to use “force” to eradicate “terrorism.”

During his meeting with Araghtchi, Assad stated that “Syria, both its army and people, is determined to fight terrorist organizations with full strength and determination across its entire territory.” He emphasized that “fighting terrorism, dismantling its infrastructure, and drying up its sources serves not only Syria but also the stability and security of the entire region.”

Assad also stressed the “importance of support from allies and friends in countering foreign-backed terrorist attacks and thwarting their plans.”

Araghtchi, for his part, reiterated “Iran’s steadfast position alongside Syria in its fight against terrorism,” expressing “full readiness to provide all forms of support to the Syrian government while reaffirming commitment to Syria’s unity and stability.”