Syrian opposition forces said on Dec. 4, 2024 that they had taken the town of al-Saan east of Hama, on the eighth day of an offensive they call “Deterrence of Aggression”.
A military spokesperson, Hassan Abdul Ghani, said fighters had advanced on Hama from three directions and captured al-Saan along with several nearby villages, including al-Mubarakats and Rasem al-Baghal. On a western axis, he said, the opposition seized Rahbat Khattab and its warehouses, plus the villages of al-Majdal and Tel Bejo and the town of Khattab.
Abdul Ghani reported more than 50 regime soldiers killed in northern Hama and said his forces had seized five Iranian militia members in Mareshahur, among them two Afghans and three Syrians. He called on government troops to defect or surrender, and warned that those who resisted would face dire consequences.
State media told a different story. The Syrian news agency SANA quoted a military source who denied that rebels had entered Hama and said the city remained secure. That source claimed Syrian and Russian jets had struck opposition gatherings in the countryside with heavy losses.
The Damascus government said it was sending large reinforcements to Hama, while airstrikes continued in Idlib and Aleppo. Hama matters because it sits at the crossroads of six provinces, a position that helps secure Aleppo and Idlib and puts pressure on the Syrian coast.
Liveuamap, a conflict tracker, logged the rebel claim that al-Saan had fallen after battles with Assad’s forces.
Sources
- Syrian Opposition Forces Advance on Hama from Three Fronts Amid "Deterrence of Aggression" Operation
- Rebels have taken control of the town of "Al-Sa&039;an" east of Hama after battles with Assad&039;s forces – Hama | Liveuamap
