Rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany posted on social media that the insurgents had begun to penetrate Hama and were advancing along several routes toward its centre
An anti-government fighter fires a rocket against regime forces, in the northern outskirts of Syria's west-central city of Hama, on Dec. 4.Syrian rebels said they had started pushing into the city of Hama on Thursday, but the army denied that as pro-government forces backed by Russian air strikes fought to stave off a new insurgent victory and halt their lightning advance.
Hama has remained in government hands throughout the civil war, which erupted in 2011 as a rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad. Its fall to a revived insurgency would send shock waves through Damascus and its Russian and Iranian allies. Hama is also critical to the control of two major towns with big minority religious communities, Muhrada, home to many Christians, and Salamiya where there are many Ismaili Muslims.
The most powerful rebel faction is the militant Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Its leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has pledged to protect Syria’s religious minorities and has called on them to abandon Assad, but many remain fearful of the insurgents. Aleppo residents have said there are shortages of bread and fuel, and that telecoms services have been cut.
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