Syrian army intensifies fighting against rebels, killing 300 militants

DAMASCUS - The Syrian army forces engaged in fierce fighting in the central province of Hama against rebel factions, mainly the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), killing at least 300 militants, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry.

The ministry said that units of the Syrian army deployed along the front lines in northern rural Hama have been battling since morning against armed terrorist organizations affiliated with HTS.

"Our forces are targeting terrorist gatherings in depth and their convoys on all movement axes using artillery, rockets, and joint Syrian-Russian warplanes," the ministry said in a statement.

"These operations have resulted in the elimination of at least 300 militants, including foreign nationals, and the downing and destruction of more than 25 drones," it said, adding that reinforcements have been sent to bolster the front lines and prevent further rebel advances.

Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that HTS and allied factions are advancing from three fronts -- north, northeast, and west -- in an attempt to reach the city of Hama.

"Hama is a battle of attrition; that's why there's a media campaign on social media," Abdulrahman said.

In the morning, the Syrian army forces pushed HTS back 15 kilometers from Hama. "By evening, HTS managed to cut off the Syrian Desert road and introduced their so-called 'Red Bands' elite units on the northern outskirts of Hama," he added.

The fighting in Hama involves advances and retreats by both sides, unlike the battle for Aleppo, he noted.

Meanwhile, in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, life within the government-held city remains normal despite nearby clashes, a day after the Kurdish-led militias attacked government positions and military sites in a bid to storm seven villages in the countryside of Deir al-Zour without succeeding, according to the pro-government Sham FM radio.

In Aleppo, which fell to the rebels on Friday, Sham FM reported ongoing incidents of theft in several homes and neighborhoods by unknown armed individuals, believed to be escaped criminals from Aleppo Central Prison.

"Civil society organizations are urging residents to secure their homes and avoid interaction with these armed groups," the report said.

The city has also experienced intermittent communication disruptions, with partial outages of cellular networks and internet services leading to loss of contact between Aleppo residents and relatives in other provinces.

The recent escalation in Hama and other regions underscores the intensifying conflict between Syrian government forces and rebel groups, including HTS, which controls parts of northwest Syria.

The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called for the protection of civilians and unimpeded access to aid delivery, expressing concern over the impact of the ongoing conflict on the Syrian population.