Syria Captures Key Territory in Northern Hama

The pocket that came under the control of the military on Friday includes a few towns and their environs, which militants had held since the early years of the foreign-backed war.

The army imposed “a choking siege” on insurgents in the Hama countryside on Friday morning, state-run Ikhbariya said.

The capture of six towns and nearby hills expanded state control of a highway running through them, which stretches from the capital Damascus to Aleppo city, it added.

“The north Hama countryside is now fully safe”, the channel’s correspondent said in a live broadcast from te town of Kfar Zita. He said soldiers were searching for landmines.

The Syrian forces took full control of Khan Sheykhoun on Wednesday.

The significant advances came after days of heavy fighting against militant groups in the Idlib region such as the Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group who has been controlling the region since January, according to reports.

On August 5, the Syrian army declared in a statement the start of an offensive against foreign-sponsored militants in Idlib after those positioned in the de-escalation zone failed to honor a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey and continued to target civilian neighborhoods.

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