On Thursday, a military source told Sputnik that Jabhat Fatah al Sham (formerly the al-Nusra Front) and other Islamist groups had attacked several villages to the north of the city of Hama in Syria, killing over two dozen people.
On Friday, a military source said that the militants are trying to oust the Syrian army from strategic positions in Hama province, which are part of important logistics routes to various areas, including eastern Aleppo.
The attack was launched from the village of Soran, where the terrorists attempted to use cars packed with explosives to blow up Syrian military positions. However, the cars blew up before they reached their targets.
Clashes between government forces and the militants continue in the villages of Maardas and Rahba. Ahead of its operation to recover lost territory, the army has reinforced its positions at Zine al-Abidin, a mountain overlooking the city of Hama from the north, and Hama airport.
On Friday, the television channel al-Mayadeen reported that the Syrian army north of Hama had killed a field commander from the militant group Tahrir al-Sham, which is subordinate to Jabhat Fatah al Sham (al-Nusra Front).
