In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Aleppo, Syria's largest city
NPR Online NewsDec 01
Syrian Rebels Capture Hama, Country's Fourth Largest City
Above: A Syrian anti government fighter kneels to pray in the west-central city of Hama on Dec. 5, 2024. Image copyright: Abdulaziz Ketaz/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Syrian rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the central city of Hama, the fourth largest city in the country, on Thursday after days of intense fighting. The Syrian army said it withdrew from the city after its defense lines were broken, adding that it wanted to protect civilians.
Rebel forces had surrounded the city in recent days before entering it. The rebels also captured Hama's military airport, one of the largest in Syria which has been used to strike the rebels, as well as the police command headquarters and the central prison.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The Syrian rebels continue to make swift progress against the Assad regime. The regime's corruption and inability to govern has hollowed out the Syrian state to the point the army can no longer effectively defend government-held territory. Assad may soon fall.
Establishment-critical narrative
What is happening in Syria is a Western and Israeli-backed plot to weaken Iran and the axis of resistance. Though the Western media loves to fawn over the "Syrian rebels," in reality, Syria is facing a terrorist onslaught made up of jihadists and foreign fighters from across the world.
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