Syrian insurgents capture four central towns

Syrian insurgents captured four new towns early Tuesday, bringing them closer to the central city of Hama, opposition activists said, while government forces retook some territory they lost last week.

The new push came as Turkey's president says that Syria's government must engage "in a genuine political process” to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

The capture of the towns is the latest in the push by insurgents led by the salafi jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as well as Turkey-backed opposition fighters. Insurgents now are about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city.

The latest push is part of a wide offensive by forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad that over the past days has captured large parts of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, as well as towns and villages in southern parts of the northwestern Idlib province.

The insurgents’ military operations administration said gunmen killed 50 government forces as they captured 14 central villages and towns including Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, Maardis and Soran. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that the four towns were taken.

"We are going in the direction of Hama the city and after that, God willing, to Homs, and then to Damascus and the rest of Syria will be liberated again with God’s will,” said HTS member Abu Abdo al Hamawi.

State news agency SANA said Syrian troops are fighting fierce battles in the central Hama province adding that government forces are reinforcing their posts in the area. State media reported intense airstrikes by Syrian and Russian air forces in the area.

Both the Observatory and pro-government media outlets reported that Syrian government forces on Tuesday captured the village of Khanaser, days after losing it. Khanaser sits on one of the roads that lead to Aleppo.

Associated Press