The advance into Syria continues of the rebels led by the Islamists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Hts): After Aleppoto fall into their hands was Hamaa strategic city in the center of the country. The fighters surrounded her and, despite the intense Russian and Syrian air bombingsthey entered, forcing the army of Bashar al-Assad to retreat after clashes in the streets. The rebels announced that they had taken control of a Hama prison and to have freed hundreds of prisoners.
The leader of Hts: “A conquest without revenge”
The fighters entered Hama to “clean up a wound that has lasted in Syria for 40 years”, said the leader of Hts, Abu Mohammed al-Jolanireferring to the repression of Muslim Brotherhood in 1982 by the regime Hafez al-Assad which led to thousands of deaths, calling for it to be “a conquest without revenge”. According to data provided bySyrian Observatory for Human Rightsso far the toll of eight days of fighting is 727 deadincluding 111 civilians. Compared to the limited resistance encountered by the rebels at the beginning of the offensive, the clashes were particularly intense in the Hama area where Damascus sent “large military convoys” to halt the advance.
International reactions: the appeal of Erdogan and Lavrov
In a phone call with the general secretary ofUN, Antonio Guterresthe Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan he stressed that Assad must urgently find a “political solution” to the conflict. “There Türkiye is committed to reducing tensions, protecting civilians and opening a political process and will continue to do so”, added the leader of Ankaraunderlining that the crisis has reached a “new phase”. From Maltawhere the meeting of theOscethe Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he hypothesized a ministerial meeting on Syria in the format Astana (Russia, Iran and Türkiye) by the end of the week.
Iraq, Lebanon and Syria: the war that involves everyone
The leader of the Sunni Islamist rebels of Hts urged the Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to keep his country out of the war, after a powerful pro-Iraqi groupIran he asked Baghdad to send troops to support Assad. The same line was invoked by the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadrwho underlined in a post on From Lebanon, however, it made itself heard Naim Qassemthe general secretary of Hezbollahpro-Shiite groupTehranwho in a public speech claimed how the crisis is «orchestrated by United States And Israel. These groups takfiri (infidels, ed.) are tools used to try to destroy Syria.” «We will be at the side» of Damascus to “stop this aggression”, he assured.
Guterres’ appeal: “A new inclusive approach”
For Guterres«we are witnessing the bitter fruits of the chronic collective failure of previous agreements de-escalation to produce a genuine nationwide ceasefire or a serious political process to implement the resolutions of Security Council», the general secretary told journalists. «After 14 years of conflict, the time has come for all parties to seriously engage with Geir Pedersenmy Special Envoy for Syria, to finally chart a new, inclusive and comprehensive approach to resolving this crisis in line with the resolution 2254 of the Security Council”, added the head of the Glass Palaceraising the alarm for “tens of thousands of civilians at risk in a region already on fire”.
The rebels’ next destination: Homs
The advance of the rebels does not seem to stop and after Hama point to Homsabout forty kilometers to the south, towards which “more than 200 military vehicles” have already headed, reported theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights.