{"id":2376805,"date":"2024-12-05T16:33:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/syrian-anti-assad-forces-take-crucial-city-of-hama-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-05T16:34:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T21:34:59","slug":"syrian-anti-assad-forces-take-crucial-city-of-hama-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/syrian-anti-assad-forces-take-crucial-city-of-hama-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Syrian anti-Assad forces take crucial city of Hama &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsyrian-anti-assad-forces-take-crucial-city-of-hama-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2376805&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Anti-Assad forces, particularly the jihadist group\u2064 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have captured the strategic city of hama in Syria, marking a significant\u2062 setback for President Bashar Assad&#8217;s\u2064 government. Following a \u200bsurprise offensive in Idlib, HTS launched an attack\u200d on Hama, employing a pincer movement that breached\u2063 the Syrian Arab \u2062Army&#8217;s (SAA) defenses and forced a withdrawal from the city.The SAA, in\u200c an \u2064effort to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nikki-haley-on-terror-attacks-against-israel-this-is-an-attack-on-america-must-finish-hamas\/\" title=\"Nikki Haley: Terror Attacks on Israel are an Assault on America, Hamas Must be Defeated.\">protect civilian lives<\/a>, repositioned \u2063outside of Hama, indicating the dire situation for Assad&#8217;s forces.<\/p>\n<p>The importance of Hama lies not\u200d onyl in its strategic value\u2014connecting the regime&#8217;s coastal\u200b heartland to other \u200ckey regions\u2014but also in its symbolic importance. The city was the site of a brutal crackdown \u200cby Hafez al-Assad&#8217;s government\u200b on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982, which resulted in tens \u2062of thousands of deaths. HTS leader Abu \u200cMohammad al-Julani highlighted \u2063this ancient context,framing the capture \u200bof Hama \u2064as a moment of justice for \u2064those\u200c affected \u2062by past atrocities.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2064 the aftermath, HTS is seen as having gained\u2064 momentum, with videos \u2062circulating of their forces being celebrated by civilians. This\u200c development could indicate a shift in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yemens-houthi-rebels-hijack-an-israeli-linked-ship-in-the-red-sea-and-take-25-crew-members-hostage\/\" title=\"Yemen&#039;s Houthi rebels hijack an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea and take 25 crew members hostage\">ongoing \u2062civil war<\/a> \u2064as\u2063 the battle for Hama not only emphasizes military\u2064 losses\u2064 for the Assad regime but also taps into deep-rooted historical grievances within Syria.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Syrian anti-Assad forces take crucial city of Hama<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1642602\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3247387\/syrian-civil-war-ultimate-guide-key-players\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jihadist rebels\">Jihadist rebels<\/a> took control of Hama, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/syria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jihadist rebels\">Syria<\/a>, in another critical blow for the government of President Bashar Assad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>After November&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/3249182\/new-jihadist-offensive-syria-leaves-us-no-good-options-experts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"surprise blitz\">surprise blitz<\/a> in Idlib, Syria, anti-government forces took Syria&rsquo;s second-largest city, Aleppo, almost without a fight. Assad&rsquo;s Syrian Arab Army withdrew south to Hama to consolidate its defensive lines, seemingly stabilizing the front around the strategic city. The forces of Hayat Tahrir al Sham, an outgrowth of al Qaeda, surprised the world once again by launching a renewed offensive against Hama. The offensive broke through SAA defensive lines around Hama in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/pincer-movement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">pincer movement<\/a>, leading to its withdrawal from the city Thursday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Abandoned Syrian army vehicles sit on a road on the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ghaith Alsayed)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;During the past hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups and the rise of a number of martyrs among our forces, these groups were able to penetrate several axes in the city and enter it, despite suffering heavy losses in their ranks,&rdquo; the general command of the army and armed forces of the SAA said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SanaAjel\/status\/1864644648536252727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"statement\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In order to preserve the lives of civilians in Hama and not to involve them in battles inside the cities, the military units stationed there redeployed and repositioned themselves outside the city,&rdquo; they added.<\/p>\n<p>The statement maintained that the SAA will work to reclaim the areas.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sentdefender\/status\/1864655350391062872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Videos\">Videos<\/a> published on social media showed HTS forces being greeted by supporters upon entering the city. One of their first moves was to open the prisons to free political prisoners. Videos <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sentdefender\/status\/1864670238337368179\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"showed\">show<\/a> hundreds of inmates being greeted by supporters.<\/p>\n<p>Footage of clashes shows armored columns of HTS-led forces speeding through SAA lines, leading to a flight of SAA soldiers. In one video, panicked SAA vehicles are intercepted by HTS tanks and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taliban-holds-parade-for-islamic-emirate-army-with-captured-american-gear\/\" title=\"Taliban Holds Parade for \u2018Islamic Emirate Army\u2019 with Captured American Gear\">armored fighting vehicles<\/a>, being driven off the road or run over.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Insane battle footage from Hama countryside in Syria<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%B9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%86?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#&#1585;&#1583;&#1593;_&#1575;&#1604;&#1593;&#1583;&#1575;&#1608;&#1606;<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bsd0WhNygm\">pic.twitter.com\/bsd0WhNygm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Muslim Daily (@muslimdaily_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/muslimdaily_\/status\/1864600550324547628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 5, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The loss of Hama is a massive blow to the Assad government, with the city possessing great strategic and symbolic value.<\/p>\n<p>On a strategic level, the city was the government&rsquo;s last major population center before Homs, a hub that connects the M5 motorway to the capital and Syria&rsquo;s access to the Mediterranean Sea. If Homs is taken, Syria will effectively be split in two. The coastline is also the regime&rsquo;s heartland, possessing the greatest share of Alawites and Christians &mdash; Assad&rsquo;s biggest supporters.<\/p>\n<p>On a symbolic level, Hama was the sight of the brutal crushing of an Islamist uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982 by Assad&rsquo;s father, Hafez al Assad. In the nearly monthlong siege, the SAA surrounded and bombarded the city into submission, killing an estimated 10,000 to 40,000 people. The legacy of the incident played prominently in the 2011 protests and ensuing civil war, feeding a feeling of resentment among the rebels. It also served as a byword for government brutality, with older Syrians warning that Bashar Assad would &ldquo;do Hama again&rdquo; if the youth protested.<\/p>\n<p>More directly, Muslim Brotherhood survivors served as direct inspirations for many Islamist movements that have taken up arms in the country&rsquo;s civil war. Disciples of one prominent Syrian Muslim Brotherhood member, Abul-Abbas al Shami, <a href=\"https:\/\/carnegieendowment.org\/middle-east\/diwan\/2017\/01\/will-history-repeat-itself?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"went on to found\">went on to found<\/a> the Ahrar al Sham Islamic Movement, a powerful militant group that helped take Hama on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>In his first video statement announcing the taking of Hama, HTS Emir Abu Mohammad al Julani referenced the 1982 uprising.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have good news for you, my brothers, that your brothers, the Mujahideen revolutionaries, have begun to enter the city of Hama to cleanse that wound that has continued in Syria for 40 years,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping with his rebrand toward moderation, he said it was a conquest &ldquo;free of revenge&rdquo; and a &ldquo;conquest entirely of mercy and love.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a decree Monday, Julani, who once served as head of Syria&rsquo;s al Qaeda affiliate, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/who-is-syrian-rebel-leader-hts-jawlani-9b157eff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"declared\">declared<\/a>, &ldquo;In the future Syria, we believe that diversity is our strength, not a weakness.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after the fall of Hama, the <em>Syrian Arab News Agency<\/em> reported that Damascus&rsquo;s air defenses had shot down several enemy drones &mdash; the first-ever drone attack by rebels against the capital.<\/p>\n<p>The situation is worse for Bashar Assad than at any time since September 2015. Its savior at that time, Russia, is assisting with some air assets and missile strikes but is largely distracted by its war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Bashar Assad&rsquo;s main hope is Iran and its proxy militias, which are reeling from recent fighting against Israel. Hezbollah and some Iraqi Shiite militias have reportedly been deployed to Syria in recent days but are largely defensive in posture. A Hezbollah fighter and Iraqi militia commanders speaking with the <em>Washington Post<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2024\/12\/04\/iran-syria-hezbollah-iraq-militias-assad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"said\">said<\/a> they are waiting for orders for their next move.<\/p>\n<p>Iran sent thousands of proxy fighters to assist Bashar Assad in the early years of the country&rsquo;s civil war, but such forces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2024\/12\/04\/iran-syria-hezbollah-iraq-militias-assad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"may not\">may not<\/a> be enough to save the SAA. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/Middle_East_Spectator\/13344\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"may not\">Footage<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">recent fighting shows massive quantities<\/a> of Syrian tanks, equipment, and armored vehicles seemingly abandoned. Bashar Assad&rsquo;s recent decree granting a 50% raise in base salaries for SAA military personnel may not be sufficient.<\/p>\n<p>The Iranian government is now floating the prospect of a direct military intervention.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If the Syrian government wants us to deploy troops in Syria, we&rsquo;ll consider their request,&rdquo; Iran Foreign Minister&nbsp;Abbas Araghchi&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-12-04\/iran-would-consider-any-call-from-assad-to-send-troops-to-syria\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"said\">said<\/a> in an interview with the United Kingdom-based newspaper <em>Al Araby Al Jadeed<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is already heavily embedded in Syria, with Israel killing many top commanders in strikes within the country.<\/p>\n<p>The Iraqi government, closely linked with Iran, is also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/iraq-will-not-be-just-spectator-syria-prime-minister-says-2024-12-03\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"floating\">floating<\/a> the possibility of an intervention.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bashar Assad received the public backing of the most prestigious group in the Muslim world of the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance &mdash; the Houthis. Houthi Spokesman Mohammed al Bukhaiti said in a Tuesday <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/M_N_Albukhaiti\/status\/1863847500886442086\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"statement\">statement<\/a> that Bashar Assad was the only Arab head of state who hadn&rsquo;t abandoned the Palestinian and Lebanese cause and that the offensive&rsquo;s &ldquo;ultimate goal&rdquo; was to &ldquo;cut off the resistance&rsquo;s supply route in service of Israel.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah also reiterated its support, with newly inaugurated Secretary-General Naim Qassem saying in a Thursday speech that the group would &ldquo;stand with Syria to thwart this aggression.&rdquo; He denounced HTS and its allies as &ldquo;tools of Israel and America.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1642602\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1642602\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syrian anti-Assad forces capture Hama, a major setback for Assad<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2376806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hama.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[46208,46209,43756,46207,32076],"class_list":["post-2376805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-anti-assad","tag-hama","tag-middle-east-news","tag-syrian-conflict","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hama.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376805"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376809,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376805\/revisions\/2376809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2376806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}