Syria’s army has announced its withdrawal from Hama, a city of significant strategic importance in central Syria. This move marks a notable gain for a newly formed rebel coalition, which had recently captured Aleppo. The Syrian military stated that due to intensified confrontations with terrorist groups and the loss of soldiers' lives, these groups managed to penetrate various parts of the city and gain entry.
Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, was seized by rebel factions in a surprise offensive last week, overpowering President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and their allied militias. This offensive dealt a significant blow to Assad and his supporters in Iran and Russia, reigniting a civil war that had been relatively subdued for some time.
Hama holds a strategic position at a crucial juncture in western-central Syria, serving as a vital link between the capital Damascus and Aleppo. Despite efforts since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, rebels had previously been unable to capture the city.
Moreover, Hama carries symbolic weight due to its history as the site of a major massacre in 1982. During this event, President Hafez al-Assad, the current ruler's father, ordered a brutal military crackdown to suppress a revolt. An Amnesty International report from 1983 estimated the death toll from both sides to be between 10,000 and 25,000.
Syria's civil war originated during the 2011 Arab Spring when the government quelled an uprising against Assad, who has held the presidency since 2000. The situation escalated into a full-fledged civil conflict as protests evolved into armed rebellion. Notably, Hama was among the initial locations where protests against the Syrian regime emerged during the Arab Spring.
