Syrian rebels are taking advantage of the moment when the Syrian dictator's most important allies are weakened or busy fighting in another region of the world. – Syria deserves an institutional system of government, not one that serves the individual, as was the case with the Assad regime. There must be a framework that protects and guarantees the rights of all citizens, said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Muhammad al-Jaulani in an interview with CNN.
In Hama, the fourth largest city in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell. After anti-government fighters took control of the city, demonstrators toppled the statue of the former Syrian leader and father of the current president.
– We've been waiting for this day for a long time. We go out into the streets, we welcome freedom! This is the happiest day for us, said Mohammed Sabahi, a resident of Hama.
On December 5, the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militias, after several days of fighting, captured Hama – a city with nearly a million inhabitants and a strategic importance for the defense of Damascus, located approximately 200 kilometers away. The rebels took control of, among others, the police headquarters, the air base and the city prison, from which they released hundreds of people.
– The city of Hama was liberated by our heroic fighters from the hands of al-Assad's criminal gangs, which had been displacing people from here for 13 years, said Suleiman Taleb, a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighter.
Al-Assad is losing control of the country at a surprising pace
Bashar al-Assad's troops announced a counteroffensive on December 4, but a day later they withdrew their troops outside Hama. In official statements, they explained that in this way they wanted to avoid clashes that could endanger civilians.
– What happened in Hama is a temporary tactical measure. Our forces remain deployed around the city and are fully prepared to perform their duties, said Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Mahmoud Abbas.
Many experts have no doubt that these words are only intended to hide another significant defeat of the Bashar al-Assad regime, which is losing control over its own country at a surprising pace.
– Everyone is surprised by the speed of the rebel offensive, but no one is surprised that the regime will not be able to oppose it without its international helpers – pointed out Farouq Habib, deputy general director of the White Helmets.
A few days earlier, the rebels reached Aleppo in just 72 hours and – without encountering significant resistance from the army – took over the second largest city in the country. CNN was one of the first foreign stations to gain access to it.
– Talking to people here, you can feel joy and relief that the rule of Bashar al-Assad is over. But there is also anxiety and fear. Because people don't know what the rebel forces will do now, or what the Assad regime and its allies will do, described Jomana Karadsheh, a CNN correspondent.
The regime has no one to turn to for help
Bashar al-Assad's allies include Moscow, Tehran and Lebanon's Hezbollah. In recent days, Russian warplanes have stepped up air attacks on Aleppo and other areas controlled by anti-government militias, and Iran-backed militias have sent fighters to reinforce Syrian defense lines. Today, Bashar al-Assad's allies do not even hide the fact that they are busy with their own problems
– If the regime was looking for help from its old ally, Russia, well, it may not come so quickly. The Kremlin spokesman admitted that Moscow was monitoring the situation. It's hard to call it full support for a friend in need, said Ben Wedeman, a CNN journalist.
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This is effectively used by the jihadist militias of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which are currently enjoying the greatest successes on the battlefield since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war 13 years ago and are increasingly threatening the rule of the Assad dynasty that has lasted over 50 years.
The rebel leader gave an interview
– Syria deserves an institutional system of government, not one that serves the individual, as was the case with the Assad regime. There must be a framework that protects and guarantees the rights of all citizens, said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Muhammad al-Jaulani.
Experts remind that the group he commands was created from a former branch of Al-Qaeda. Regardless of its leader's efforts to disassociate itself from these ties, the United States continues to designate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization and offers a $10 million reward for the capture of its leader.
A surprising success for the rebels. “These forces can destroy the Syrian army”Szymon Kazimierczak/Fakty o Świecie TVN24 BiS
– Al-Jaulani is pursuing a wise policy today. He looks a bit like a modern revolutionary, but even a group more moderate than Al-Qaeda is still an extreme group, noted Colin Clarke from The Soufan Group, an expert on terrorism and international security.
The rebels' next target is Homs, one of the most important transit hubs connecting Damascus with the northern and western provinces – also with Russia's military bases in Syria. Russia itself is trying to delay the rebel offensive, including by bombing the bridge leading to the city, but Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militias are advancing every hour and emphasizing that they will not stop until they reach Damascus.
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Main photo source: CNN