BEIRUT — On Sunday, the Syrian army deployed reinforcements to counter an insurgent advance into the northern Hama countryside and nearby strategic locations in an adjacent province, following a surprise offensive.
Insurgents, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched an offensive on Saturday, claiming to have entered Hama city. This claim lacks independent verification. Separately, rebel commander Col. Hassan Abdulghani reported insurgent seizure of Sheikh Najjar (Aleppo Industrial City), Aleppo’s military academy, and the field artillery college to the southwest.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is traveling to Damascus later Sunday, stating Iran will support the Syrian government and army.
The swift, unexpected offensive is a significant setback for President Bashar Assad, raising concerns about his military’s readiness. This occurs while Assad’s allies—Iran, its supported groups, and Russia—are engaged in their own conflicts.
Syrian state television reported government forces killed nearly 1,000 insurgents over three days, but offered no evidence or specifics.
Overnight airstrikes on Idlib, a rebel-held area near Hama and southeast of Aleppo, killed four civilians and injured 54, according to the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets), which operates in opposition-held territories.
According to SANA and a war monitor, the Syrian army repelled insurgents in northern Hama province overnight.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that government reinforcements established a strong defensive line in northern Hama.
The SOHR and Al-Ikhbariyah also reported Russian airstrikes in Idlib and some rebel-controlled areas.
In his first public statement since the offensive, released Saturday evening by the state news agency, Assad declared Syria’s commitment to defending its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their backers, asserting Syria’s capacity to defeat them regardless of attack intensity.
The 2016 battle for Aleppo marked a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebels, following 2011 protests against Assad. After initially losing ground, the Aleppo victory secured Assad’s control over key Syrian areas, leaving opposition factions and their foreign supporters in control of peripheral regions.
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