Syrian rebels dragged the head of a statue believed to be that of Hafez al-Assad through the streets, marking a symbolic victory as they claim control over a key Syrian city from government forces.
Footage shows the rebels towing the bronze head while chanting triumphantly against the al-Assad regime.
The late Hafez al-Assad served as Syria’s president and is the father of the current leader, President Bashar al-Assad. His statue has been toppled in the city of Hama.
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(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In a significant shift of power, the rebels, including Islamist militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have seized a large portion of territory in the north-west of the country.
HTS is led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist insurgent alliance that has captured swathes of Syria in a lightning offensive, is an extremist who has adopted a more moderate posture to try to achieve his goals.
Rooted in Syria’s branch of Al-Qaeda, Jolani says the goal of his offensive is to overthrow president Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The recent offensive, deemed their most substantial challenge to the Syrian government in years, saw the capture of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, after military forces retreated rapidly.
Leaders within the HTS ranks, including Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, hailed the “victory” in Hama, famously stating there will be “no revenge”.
The opposition now claims complete dominance over another major urban centre – Hama, with its million-strong population, located just 70 miles south of recently captured Aleppo, where a sudden insurgent attack shocked government forces.
After a gruelling 13-year conflict, insurgents have finally taken Hama, catching strategic control of the central city from the clutches of Assad for the first time since Syria’s civil strife morphed into full-blown war.
There is evidence of close coordination between rebel forces – the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army sent supplies to support HTS when it needed reinforcements.
Echoing the rebels’ intentions, a commander boldly informed Homs inhabitants: “your time has come”.
Eyes are now set on Homs, an intersection of vital routes to Damascus and coastal zones, where loyalist support simmers for Assad, and Russian allies maintain naval and airbases at Latakia.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
With the prospect of Homs as the next insurgent mark, residents are fleeing in droves, sensing the imminent clash.
The Syrian civil war spiralled from peaceful protests demanding democracy in 2011 to a cataclysmic war, that has devastated the country and drawn in regional and world powers.
Over half a million have perished and 12 million displaced, including five million desperately seeking refuge beyond borders.
Assad has vowed to “crush” the rebels and accused Western powers of trying to redraw the map of the region.
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