Anti-Assad rebels captured the strategic Syrian city of Hama on Thursday, marking one of the most important developments in Syria’s 13-year civil war. The rebels’ rapid advance, including the fall of Aleppo, appears to have caught many people off guard.
At a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder acknowledged the destabilizing effects of the situation in Syria, but stressed that the United States is not involved in the ongoing fighting.
“We call on all parties to de-escalate tensions to ensure the protection of minorities in the region,” Ryder said.
Ryder added that the United States remains aware of the potential for further death and destruction, but is not maintaining an active role in the conflict. Approximately 900 US troops are stationed in Syria as part of the mission to defeat Islamic State.
Syria’s Islamic rebels catch Assad, Putin and the Iranian regime off guard, creating new Middle East headache
An anti-government fighter covers his ears as a multi-barreled rocket launcher fires on regime forces on the northern outskirts of the city of Hama in central Syria on December 4, 2024. (Bakr Al Qasem/AFP via Getty Images)
The surprise attack on Assad’s forces, led by the Salafi jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under the command of Abu Mohammed al-Golani, had reportedly been planned for four years.
HTS is Syria’s most powerful rebel group, which grew out of al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, but in 2016 it insisted on severing ties with the group. The group controls much of northwestern Syria and has spearheaded recent advances against Assad’s forces. The United States and other countries have designated it a terrorist organization.
Rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has highlighted rising tensions in the region and warned Iraqi militias backed by Iran to avoid involvement.
“We once again call on him (Iraqi Prime Minister) to avoid drawing Iraq into the flames of another war related to what is happening in Syria,” Golani said in the video.
On December 2, 2024, rebel forces in northwestern Syria seized a regime military vehicle along the route to Kweris Airport in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via APRami Alsayed/NurPhoto via AP)
In addition to HTS, there are growing concerns that ISIS may be trying to exploit the situation. The U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday announced measures to counter the group’s resurgence.
“The terrorist organization ISIS has recently declared control of significant parts of the Homs and Deir Ezzor deserts, capturing a number of cities and strategic locations from Damascus government forces,” SDF media chief told X (formerly Twitter). I mentioned it in my post.
In 2014, ISIS took control of vast swaths of land in Syria and Iraq.
Russia and Syria bomb Syrian Islamic rebels after surprise invasion
Israeli authorities are closely monitoring developments. The emergency security meeting was held after key Syrian government positions, including air bases and weapons storage facilities, fell into rebel hands.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Helj Halevi emphasized Israel’s preparedness to deal with emerging threats near the border.
“We will not tolerate threats near the Israeli-Syrian border and will act to neutralize any danger to Israeli civilians,” the IDF said in a statement.
Displaced Kurds leave a refugee camp in northern Aleppo and seek refuge in Afrin on December 4, 2024. (Ugur Yildirim/DIA Image/Abaca/Sipa USA)
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that security officials are concerned that rebels have also captured sites linked to Syria’s chemical weapons program. Although much of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal was destroyed in 2013 under international agreements, experts warn that undeclared reserves could pose a serious threat if extremist groups were to obtain them. are.
Analysts say Assad’s dependence on Russian and Iranian support is being shaken amid shifting geopolitical priorities. With Russia distracted by the war in Ukraine and Hezbollah suffering significant losses in its conflict with Israel, regime forces appear increasingly vulnerable. Analysts have suggested that the fall of the key city of Homs in southern Hama could cut Damascus off from its coastal strongholds and signal possible regime collapse.
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The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen in northern and northwest Syria as fighting continues. The escalating hostilities have displaced thousands of people, many from Tell Rifaat to northeastern Syria, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
With more than 280,000 civilians facing displacement due to recent violence, experts say ISIS and other extremists are exploiting the chaos to threaten not just Syria but the wider region. It warns that it may lead to
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this article.
