“MASSIVE BLOW”
Aron Lund, a fellow of the Century Worldwide suppose tank, known as the lack of Hama “a large, huge blow to the Syrian authorities” as a result of the military ought to have had a bonus there to reverse insurgent good points “they usually could not do it”.
He stated HTS would now attempt to push on in direction of Syria’s third largest metropolis, Homs, some 40km to the south, the place many residents have been already leaving on Thursday, pictures on social media confirmed.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman reported a mass exodus from the town of members of Assad’s Alawite minority group.
He stated tens of 1000’s have been heading in direction of areas alongside Syria’s Mediterranean coast, the place the Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam, kind the bulk.
“We’re afraid and fearful that what occurred in Hama will probably be repeated in Homs,” stated a civil servant, who gave his title solely as Abbas.
“We worry they (the rebels) will take revenge on us,” the 33-year-old stated.
Till final week, the warfare in Syria had been largely dormant for years, however analysts have stated it was sure to renew because it was by no means really resolved.
UN chief Antonio Guterres stated the flare-up displays “the bitter fruits of a persistent collective failure of earlier de-escalation preparations”.
In a video posted on-line, HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani stated 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 1000’s of deaths.
“I ask God almighty that it’s a conquest with no revenge,” he added.
In a later message on Telegram congratulating “the folks of Hama on their victory,” he used his actual title, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as a substitute of his nom de guerre for the primary time.
