Islamist rebels seize strategic city of Hama from Syrian regime forces

"The militants led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have captured Hama, a crucial city on the road to Damascus, posing a significant challenge to Bashar al-Assad's regime."

"In a decisive move, the leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, expressed that the group's victory in Hama would be without revenge and merciful, signaling a potential shift in their approach to control."

"With the Syrian army's claims of an 'impregnable' defense proving false, they ultimately withdrew to protect civilians, conceding ground to the insurgents who had laid siege for days."

"The UN reported that the resurgence of conflict has displaced over 280,000 people, raising alarms over a looming humanitarian crisis in the already war-torn region of Syria."

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