Syrian rebels advance: Intense clashes erupt on Hama’s outskirts 

The Syrian rebels have reached the outskirts of the city of Hama, which is the fourth largest city in Syria after Aleppo, Damascus and Homs, according to the popular London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

After the capture of the city of Aleppo and most of the Idlib province, the rebels are racing to the next target – the city of Hama, which is another symbol of the Syrian regime and will be a severe blow to the Assad regime if it falls into their hands.

"The city of Hama has become our next target," the Syrian rebels declared. Syrian media reported that "the Syrian army is involved in fierce battles along the roads in villages in northern Hama province." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia and the other armed factions fighting it managed to encircle the city of Hama from three sides.

According to the report, the factions "surrounded the city of Hama on three sides, and are now located between three and four kilometers from the city, where violent battles are taking place with the Syrian regime forces, who have only one way out of the Hama area – to the south."