Syrian rebels close in on Hama, a city synonymous with government brutality

The Assads are Alawite Muslims, as opposed to Sunni or Shiite — the religion’s two major branches — and have long been fighting a patchwork of armed opposition groups seeking their overthrow. The war is estimated to have killed a half-a-million people since 2011.

Gunmen killed 50 government troops as they took 14 central villages and towns, HTS’s military operations administration told The Associated Press. 

State media said Syrian troops were fighting fierce battles in central Hama province and that reinforcements were on their way to Hama city. They also reported intense airstrikes by Syrian and Russian air forces in the area.

Meanwhile aid groups warned that some areas in northern Syria were already witnessing food shortages.

“The recent escalation in Syria threatens to drag the country back into the darkest days of this near 14-year conflict,” Angelita Caredda, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director said in a statement. “Civilian casualties are rising because of shelling and airstrikes, and thousands of families have been displaced.