Syrian rebels have encircled the key city of Hama "from three sides," a war monitor said on Wednesday, despite an intense counteroffensive by government forces attempting to maintain control, reported the AFP news agency.
Hama, strategically located in central Syria, is crucial for the government as it serves as a protective buffer for Damascus, the capital and seat of President Bashar Al-Assad's power.
The fighting near Hama follows a rapid offensive by Islamist-led rebels, who recently seized significant territory, including Syria's second city, Aleppo, which had remained under government control for over a decade.
"The rebels have surrounded Hama city from three sides and are now present at a distance of three to four kilometers from it," stated the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor linked with the opposition, which also reported that government forces are now "left with only one exit towards Homs to the south."
A critical turning point in the rebels' campaign was the capture of Aleppo, where the head of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, made a high-profile visit on Wednesday.
Images shared on HTS’s Telegram channel showed Jolani waving to supporters from an open-top car near Aleppo’s historic citadel, according to AFP.
While the rebels initially encountered little resistance, the clashes around Hama have been particularly intense, the report noted. Assad has responded by ordering a 50% salary increase for career soldiers, state news agency SANA reported, in an effort to strengthen his forces for the ongoing counteroffensive.
A military source cited by SANA described "fierce battles" in northern Hama province, with "joint Syrian-Russian warplanes" supporting the government forces.
The Observatory reported that "large military convoys" carrying tanks, ammunition, and soldiers have been sent to Hama and its outskirts over the past 24 hours.
The Observatory also noted that pro-government forces, led by Russian and Iranian officers, managed to repel a rebel attack northwest of Hama. The fighting remains close to an area predominantly inhabited by Alawites, the Shiite offshoot to which Assad belongs.
Russia, which has been conducting air strikes in Syria since September 2015 in support of Assad, on Sunday confirmed that it is assisting the Syrian army in fending off the rebel forces across three northern provinces.
"The Syrian Arab Army, with the assistance of the Russian Aerospace Forces, is continuing its operation to repel terrorist aggression in the provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo," the Russian military said in a briefing on its website.
"Over the past day, missile and bombing strikes were carried out on places where militants and equipment were gathered," the statement added, though it did not specify the locations or identify those responsible for the strikes.
On Wednesday, Russia, Iran, and Turkey announced they remain "in close contact" regarding the Syrian conflict. While Russia and Iran back Assad, Turkey has supported the opposition.
The conflict has claimed 704 lives since the offensive began, according to the Observatory, including 110 civilians.
Assad has remained unfazed by the rebels latest attack, stressing his country’s resolve "in the face of all terrorists and their backers" in a conversation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Syria's government refers to all those who oppose it as "terrorists", including both jihadist rebels as well as rebels considered by the West to be “moderate”.