Syrian government forces launched airstrikes on a major highway linking the cities of Homs and Hama in a bid to thwart the advances of rebel groups, a war monitor said Friday (Dec 6). On Thursday, Islamist fighters took control of the strategic city of Hama; which is just 40 kilometres away from Homs, Syria’s third-largest city.

“Fighter jets executed several airstrikes, targeting Al-Rastan bridge on (the) Homs-Hama highway... as well as attacking positions around the bridge, attempting to cut off the road between Hama and Homs and secure Homs," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The war monitor added that forces of Syria President Bashar al-Assad had also placed soil barriers on the highway north of Homs. Following the capture of Hama after street battles between rebels of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and the Syrian army, panic-struck residents of Homs, especially those hailing from Assad's Alawite minority community, were seen fleeing the city.

Watch:&nbsp;Iran Sends Regional Fighters To Syria: Can They Save Assad Again?

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Earlier, rebels were seen firing celebratory gunfire as they entered Syria's fourth-largest city of Hama. AFP reported several residents appeared to welcome the rebels. Syrian Defence Minister Ali Abbas claimed that the army’s withdrawal from Hama was a "temporary tactical measure".

"Our forces are still in the vicinity," he said in a statement carried by the official SANA news agency.

In a statement released later, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said his fighters had entered Hama to "cleanse the wound that has endured in Syria for 40 years", referring to a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982, which led to thousands of deaths.

Since the rebels launched their offensive last week and seized the strategic city of Aleppo; at least 826 people, including soldiers, civilians and rebels, have died. It marks the most intense fighting since 2020 in the civil war sparked by the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011.

(With inputs from agencies)

Syrian government forces launched airstrikes on a major highway linking the cities of Homs and Hama in a bid to thwart the advances of rebel groups, a war monitor said Friday (Dec 6).

Syrian government forces launched airstrikes on a major highway linking the cities of Homs and Hama in a bid to thwart the advances of rebel groups, a war monitor said Friday (Dec 6). On Thursday, Islamist fighters took control of the strategic city of Hama; which is just 40 kilometres away from Homs, Syria’s third-largest city. “Fighter jets executed several airstrikes, targeting Al-Rastan bridge on (the) Homs-Hama highway... as well as attacking positions around the bridge, attempting to cut off the road between Hama and Homs and secure Homs," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor added that forces of Syria President Bashar al-Assad had also placed soil barriers on the highway north of Homs. Following the capture of Hama after street battles between rebels of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and the Syrian army, panic-struck residents of Homs, especially those hailing from Assad's Alawite minority community, were seen fleeing the city. Watch: Iran Sends Regional Fighters To Syria: Can They Save Assad Again? × Earlier, rebels were seen firing celebratory gunfire as they entered Syria's fourth-largest city of Hama. AFP reported several residents appeared to welcome the rebels. Syrian Defence Minister Ali Abbas claimed that the army’s withdrawal from Hama was a "temporary tactical measure". "Our forces are still in the vicinity," he said in a statement carried by the official SANA news agency. In a statement released later, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said his fighters had entered Hama to "cleanse the wound that has endured in Syria for 40 years", referring to a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982, which led to thousands of deaths. Since the rebels launched their offensive last week and seized the strategic city of Aleppo; at least 826 people, including soldiers, civilians and rebels, have died. It marks the most intense fighting since 2020 in the civil war sparked by the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011. (With inputs from agencies)

Syrian govt ‘bombs’ key bridge in bid to secure Homs as rebels seize Hama city

Syrian rebel chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, sent an official message Thursday using his real name for the first time after his fighters seized the strategic city of Hama.

"We congratulate the people of Hama for their victory," said the message, bearing an image of Jolani and signed "Commander Ahmed al-Sharaa".

The message was posted on the Telegram channel of rebel factions' leadership, created just days after the offensive began on November 27.

In an interview in 2021 with American public broadcaster PBS, Jolani confirmed his real name was Ahmed al-Sharaa, and said his more frequently used nom de guerre was a reference to his family origins in Syria's Golan Heights.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-forces-fight-to-stop-rebel-advance-in-key-central-city-hama-781752">Also read:&nbsp;Syria forces fight to stop rebel advance in key central city of Hama</a>

Israel seized much of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and later annexed it in a move largely unrecognised by the international community.

Jolani, born in 1982, told PBS his grandfather was displaced from the Golan when the Israeli army entered the area.

The apparent switch in names comes as his fighters seize control of swathes of Syrian territory from the government, including the key cities of Aleppo and Hama.

Watch |&nbsp;Syrian Conflict: Rebel Factions Enter Hama, Oust Pro-govt Forces From Key City | World News | WION

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HTS has sought to moderate its image in recent years, including by cutting ties with its one-time sponsor Al-Qaeda, but experts say it faces an uphill battle convincing Western governments it has fully renounced hardline jihadism.

HTS says it no longer has any links to Al-Qaeda after severing them in 2016, five years into Syria's civil war.

It took on its current name the following year, arresting Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

But it remains blacklisted by the United States and the European Union.

Several experts have warned the group has not fundamentally broken with its past despite its rebranding.

On Wednesday, images posted on HTS's Telegram channel showed the bearded Jolani waving to supporters from an open-top car as he visited Aleppo's landmark citadel.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Syrian rebel chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, sent an official message Thursday using his real name for the first time after his fighters seized the strategic city of Hama.

Syrian rebel chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, sent an official message Thursday using his real name for the first time after his fighters seized the strategic city of Hama. "We congratulate the people of Hama for their victory," said the message, bearing an image of Jolani and signed "Commander Ahmed al-Sharaa". The message was posted on the Telegram channel of rebel factions' leadership, created just days after the offensive began on November 27. In an interview in 2021 with American public broadcaster PBS, Jolani confirmed his real name was Ahmed al-Sharaa, and said his more frequently used nom de guerre was a reference to his family origins in Syria's Golan Heights. Also read: Syria forces fight to stop rebel advance in key central city of Hama Israel seized much of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and later annexed it in a move largely unrecognised by the international community. Jolani, born in 1982, told PBS his grandfather was displaced from the Golan when the Israeli army entered the area. The apparent switch in names comes as his fighters seize control of swathes of Syrian territory from the government, including the key cities of Aleppo and Hama. Watch | Syrian Conflict: Rebel Factions Enter Hama, Oust Pro-govt Forces From Key City | World News | WION × HTS has sought to moderate its image in recent years, including by cutting ties with its one-time sponsor Al-Qaeda, but experts say it faces an uphill battle convincing Western governments it has fully renounced hardline jihadism. HTS says it no longer has any links to Al-Qaeda after severing them in 2016, five years into Syria's civil war. It took on its current name the following year, arresting Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank. But it remains blacklisted by the United States and the European Union. Several experts have warned the group has not fundamentally broken with its past despite its rebranding. On Wednesday, images posted on HTS's Telegram channel showed the bearded Jolani waving to supporters from an open-top car as he visited Aleppo's landmark citadel. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Syrian conflict: Rebel leader uses real name for first time in official message

Syrian government forces were locked in heavy fighting around the central city of Hama on Thursday, trying to halt an advance of Islamist-led rebels, a war monitor said.

The fighting around Hama follows a rapid offensive by the rebels, who in just days captured large chunks of territory, including Syria's second city, Aleppo, from President Bashar al-Assad's control.

Strategically located in central Syria, Hama is crucial for the army’s efforts to protect the capital, Damascus.

By late Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said rebel fighters had "surrounded Hama city from three sides".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-devastated-city-of-aleppo-back-in-rebel-hands-781342">Also read:&nbsp;Syria's devastated city of Aleppo back in rebel hands</a>

"Violent clashes took place during the night between the rebels and the regime forces", particularly in the Jabal Zayn al-Abidin area, just north of Hama, said the Britain-based monitor.

The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said government troops were engaged in "fierce resistance and trying to stop the rebels' advance".

Syrian state media quoted a military source late Wednesday as saying Russian and Syrian air forces, alongside artillery units, had conducted "concentrated strikes on the... terrorists" in the Hama area.

Watch |&nbsp;War In Syria: Rebels Claim Victory In Tel Rifaat

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Maya, a 22-year-old student who gave her first name only for security concerns, said she and her family were staying at home as the fighting rages outside.

"We have been hearing non-stop the sounds of explosions and shelling," she told AFP by telephone from Hama.

"We don't know what's going on outside."

<h2>Rebel leader tours citadel&nbsp;</h2>

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, says 704 people, mostly combatants but also 110 civilians, have been killed in Syria since the violence erupted last week.

It marks the most intense fighting since 2020 in a country already ravaged by civil war, which erupted with the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Key to the rebels' successes since the start of the offensive last week was the takeover of Aleppo, which in more than a decade of war had never entirely fallen out of government hands.

The head of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, on Wednesday visited Aleppo's landmark citadel.

Jolani was seen waving to supporters from an open-top car as he visited the historic fortress, in images posted on the rebels' Telegram channel.

While the advancing rebels found little resistance earlier in their offensive, the fighting around Hama has been especially fierce.

Assad ordered a 50 per cent raise in career soldiers' pay, state news agency SANA reported, as he seeks to bolster his forces for the counteroffensive.

The Observatory said government forces brought "large military convoys to Hama" and its outskirts.

It said, "Regime forces and pro-government fighters led by Russian and Iranian officers were able to repel&nbsp;an attack northwest of Hama."

The monitor also said that the fighting was close to an area mainly populated by Alawites, followers of the same offshoot of Shiite Islam as the president.

<h2>'Scorched-earth counteroffensive'&nbsp;</h2>

The rebels launched their offensive in northern Syria on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the war between Israel and Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.

Both Hezbollah and Russia have been key backers of Assad's government, but have been more recently mired in their own respective conflicts.

The United Nations on Wednesday said 115,000 people had been "newly displaced across Idlib and northern Aleppo" by the fighting.

Human Rights Watch warned the fighting "raises concerns that civilians face a real risk of serious abuses at the hands of opposition armed groups and the Syrian government".

Until last week, the war in Syria had been mostly dormant for years, but analysts have said the violence was bound to flare up as it was never truly resolved.

Spearheading the rebel alliance is HTS, which is rooted in Syria's Al-Qaeda branch.

"HTS has had a lot of time and space and resources to organise itself and to prepare for this," said analyst Sam Heller of the US-based Century Foundation think tank.

How the fighting unfolds now "depends on whether the Syrian government can regain its footing", Heller said.

"Opposition forces currently pushing south will likely get stuck somewhere in Syria's centre, when they run into really motivated and intractable loyalist resistance," he said.

"At that point, it will be a question of whether Damascus has the means to mount the type of scorched-earth counteroffensive I assume it would like to execute."

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Syrian government forces were locked in heavy fighting around the central city of Hama on Thursday, trying to halt an advance of Islamist-led rebels, a war monitor said.

Syrian government forces were locked in heavy fighting around the central city of Hama on Thursday, trying to halt an advance of Islamist-led rebels, a war monitor said. The fighting around Hama follows a rapid offensive by the rebels, who in just days captured large chunks of territory, including Syria's second city, Aleppo, from President Bashar al-Assad's control. Strategically located in central Syria, Hama is crucial for the army’s efforts to protect the capital, Damascus. By late Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said rebel fighters had "surrounded Hama city from three sides". Also read: Syria's devastated city of Aleppo back in rebel hands "Violent clashes took place during the night between the rebels and the regime forces", particularly in the Jabal Zayn al-Abidin area, just north of Hama, said the Britain-based monitor. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said government troops were engaged in "fierce resistance and trying to stop the rebels' advance". Syrian state media quoted a military source late Wednesday as saying Russian and Syrian air forces, alongside artillery units, had conducted "concentrated strikes on the... terrorists" in the Hama area. Watch | War In Syria: Rebels Claim Victory In Tel Rifaat × Maya, a 22-year-old student who gave her first name only for security concerns, said she and her family were staying at home as the fighting rages outside. "We have been hearing non-stop the sounds of explosions and shelling," she told AFP by telephone from Hama. "We don't know what's going on outside." Rebel leader tours citadel The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, says 704 people, mostly combatants but also 110 civilians, have been killed in Syria since the violence erupted last week. It marks the most intense fighting since 2020 in a country already ravaged by civil war, which erupted with the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011. Key to the rebels' successes since the start of the offensive last week was the takeover of Aleppo, which in more than a decade of war had never entirely fallen out of government hands. The head of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, on Wednesday visited Aleppo's landmark citadel. Jolani was seen waving to supporters from an open-top car as he visited the historic fortress, in images posted on the rebels' Telegram channel. While the advancing rebels found little resistance earlier in their offensive, the fighting around Hama has been especially fierce. Assad ordered a 50 per cent raise in career soldiers' pay, state news agency SANA reported, as he seeks to bolster his forces for the counteroffensive. The Observatory said government forces brought "large military convoys to Hama" and its outskirts. It said, "Regime forces and pro-government fighters led by Russian and Iranian officers were able to repel an attack northwest of Hama." The monitor also said that the fighting was close to an area mainly populated by Alawites, followers of the same offshoot of Shiite Islam as the president. 'Scorched-earth counteroffensive' The rebels launched their offensive in northern Syria on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the war between Israel and Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Russia have been key backers of Assad's government, but have been more recently mired in their own respective conflicts. The United Nations on Wednesday said 115,000 people had been "newly displaced across Idlib and northern Aleppo" by the fighting. Human Rights Watch warned the fighting "raises concerns that civilians face a real risk of serious abuses at the hands of opposition armed groups and the Syrian government". Until last week, the war in Syria had been mostly dormant for years, but analysts have said the violence was bound to flare up as it was never truly resolved. Spearheading the rebel alliance is HTS, which is rooted in Syria's Al-Qaeda branch. "HTS has had a lot of time and space and resources to organise itself and to prepare for this," said analyst Sam Heller of the US-based Century Foundation think tank. How the fighting unfolds now "depends on whether the Syrian government can regain its footing", Heller said. "Opposition forces currently pushing south will likely get stuck somewhere in Syria's centre, when they run into really motivated and intractable loyalist resistance," he said. "At that point, it will be a question of whether Damascus has the means to mount the type of scorched-earth counteroffensive I assume it would like to execute." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Syria forces fight to stop rebel advance in key central city of Hama

More than 400,000 people have been displaced in northwestern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-fires-missiles-into-south-syria-state-media-238080">Syria</a> over the past three months, the UN said Friday, as the government presses an intensified bombardment of the rebel-held region.

"More than 400,000 people have been displaced since the end of April," said David Swanson of the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency OCHA.

The region under attack is home to some three million people, nearly half of them already displaced from other parts of the country.&nbsp;

It covers nearly all of Idlib and parts of neighbouring Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia provinces.

Most of the displacement is from southern Idlib and northern Hama, the two areas that have been hit hardest by the flare-up, OCHA said.

"The majority of those fleeing have displaced within Idlib governorate while a smaller number have moved into northern Aleppo governorate.

"Roughly two-thirds of people displaced are staying outside camps," it said.

The region is controlled by jihadist alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate.

Since late April, more than 730 civilians have been killed in aerial bombardment and shelling of the region by the Syrian government and its allies, according to Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

OCHA said that since the end of April it had documented 39 attacks against health facilities or medical workers in the region.&nbsp;

At least 50 schools have been damaged by the airstrikes and shelling, it added.&nbsp;

WATCH:&nbsp;UN seeks support for children in Syria's camps

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A September accord struck between Moscow and Ankara was supposed to spare the region the bloodshed of a government assault, but it was never fully implemented after jihadists refused to withdraw from a planned buffer zone.

Instead, the bombardment has increased in intensity in recent weeks.

Airstrikes by the government and its Russian ally killed 12 civilians in the region on Thursday, according to the Observatory.

Another 50 civilians were killed in strikes on Monday alone - the majority on a busy market.

OCHA described Monday as one of the "deadliest days" in the region since the start of the flare-up.&nbsp;

The war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced in northwestern Syria over the past three months, the UN said Friday, as the government presses an intensified bombardment of the rebel-held region.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced in northwestern Syria over the past three months, the UN said Friday, as the government presses an intensified bombardment of the rebel-held region. "More than 400,000 people have been displaced since the end of April," said David Swanson of the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency OCHA. The region under attack is home to some three million people, nearly half of them already displaced from other parts of the country. It covers nearly all of Idlib and parts of neighbouring Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia provinces. Most of the displacement is from southern Idlib and northern Hama, the two areas that have been hit hardest by the flare-up, OCHA said. "The majority of those fleeing have displaced within Idlib governorate while a smaller number have moved into northern Aleppo governorate. "Roughly two-thirds of people displaced are staying outside camps," it said. The region is controlled by jihadist alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate. Since late April, more than 730 civilians have been killed in aerial bombardment and shelling of the region by the Syrian government and its allies, according to Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. OCHA said that since the end of April it had documented 39 attacks against health facilities or medical workers in the region. At least 50 schools have been damaged by the airstrikes and shelling, it added. WATCH: UN seeks support for children in Syria's camps × A September accord struck between Moscow and Ankara was supposed to spare the region the bloodshed of a government assault, but it was never fully implemented after jihadists refused to withdraw from a planned buffer zone. Instead, the bombardment has increased in intensity in recent weeks. Airstrikes by the government and its Russian ally killed 12 civilians in the region on Thursday, according to the Observatory. Another 50 civilians were killed in strikes on Monday alone - the majority on a busy market. OCHA described Monday as one of the "deadliest days" in the region since the start of the flare-up. The war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.

More than 400,000 displaced in northwest Syria in 3 months: UN

Unspecified number of people dead or wounded, according to initial reports

At least two suicide bombers detonated explosive belts in Syria's Hama today, leaving an unspecified number of people dead or wounded, state media reported, The attack targetted a square in the city's al-Hader district. The attack has come in as a coalition of rebels and jihadists move closer to government-controlled Hama,which has remained relatively insulated from the brutal violence of Syria's five-year war. (WION with inputs from agencies)

At least 2 suicide bombings reported in Syria's Hama

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