Regime forces retreat as armed groups continue their advance
Anti-regime armed groups in Syria have captured Hama city, seizing the city center, solidifying control and forcing the regime forces to concede the city.
Anti-regime groups established full control in the city center after capturing the Mezarib, Sanayi, and Arbain neighborhoods.
Hassan Abdul Ghani, commander of the Military Operations Department formed by anti-regime groups, said on X: "The criminal Hafez al-Assad entered it with tanks and stole it from its people, and today we entered it with tanks and returned it to its people."
In a written statement, the Syrian regime army announced its withdrawal from the city and redeployment to the outskirts after the anti-regime groups took control of the city.
Anti-regime groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which has been clashing with Assad regime forces since Nov. 27, are continuing their advance within Hama province.
Russian aircraft are supporting the Syrian regime forces as fierce clashes continue.
Anti-regime armed groups shot down one of the two helicopters that took off from Hama Military Airport around the city center. The other helicopter that was hit made an emergency landing.
The groups clashed with the regime forces west of Hama city center, took the villages of Erze, al-Wahshiyya, Kafrtun and Yadgun and headed towards Hama Military Airport southwest of the city center.
On Nov. 30, anti-regime groups captured much of central Aleppo following a rapid advance from its western countryside.
The groups also seized the town of Khan Shaykhun, gaining near-total control of Idlib province.
The opposition Syrian National Army, meanwhile, launched Operation Dawn of Freedom against the PKK/YPG terrorist group on Dec. 1, liberating the town of Tel Rifaat.
