Syrian rebels have captured Hama, the fourth most populous city in the country.

Rebel fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group entered the city of Hama, the fourth city in the country and the administrative center of the province of the same name in western Syria. Reuters writes about this.

Islamists occupied the north-eastern part of the city and a number of central blocks with a historical prison - which means, at a minimum, deep coverage of the city, The Bell notes .

The Syrian government army confirmed the jihadist invasion of the city. The SAR Ministry of Defense said that its units would be redeployed outside the city borders “to save the lives of civilians and prevent urban fighting.”

Hama is located more than a third of the way from Aleppo to Damascus and its capture will open the way for militants to attack Homs, notes the WarGonzo Z-channel.

According to the Military Observer telegram channel, Bashar Assad is expected to officially turn to Iran today for help in the fight against terrorist groups.

The surprise attack by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was the most dramatic rebel attack in years of civil war in Syria, where front lines have remained largely unchanged since 2020.

Rebels took control of northern Syria's main city of Aleppo last week and have since been pushing south from their enclave in northwestern Syria.

The civil war in the country has been ongoing since 2011. Russia has been actively participating on the side of Bashar al-Assad since 2015.