Ahrar Al-Sham and Failaq Al-Sham kicked off a new offensive in Hama province on Tuesday morning, targeting government-held areas near the small Christian city of Mahardeh after more Islamist reinforcements arrived from Idlib.
Attacking from two seperate flanks, Islamist militants overran the Al-Qaramitah area and its checkpoint while also seizing control of Tall Al-Sakhr near Kernaz, they claimed.
Despite reigning over joint areas of Idlib provice, the Ahrar Al-Sham leadership is on poor diplomatic terms with Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham. As such, the two rival factions are leading seperate offensives against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in rural Hama.
Now, the SAA must stiffen its defenses around Mahardeh which is home to a large Christian population feared to be slaughtered if captured by jihadist groups.
Yesterday, the SAA retook several important sites on the outskirts of Hama city, thereby reversing some gains achieved by hostile Islamist groups.
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