Al Asad's government forces definitively lose control of the city of Hama

Bashar Al Assad regime forces have lost the city of Hama. It is the second major loss of a population center, after Aleppo, since the jihadist rebels revived their offensive against the Syrian government.

According to AFP, the Al Asad regime, whose main backers are Russia and Iran, acknowledged Tuesday that they no longer controlled the city. "During the last few hours [...], terrorist groups were able to break through several fronts in the city and enter," the army said in a statement, adding that its forces had "redeployed outside the city."

The armed elements of the Syrian regime have withdrawn to the outskirts of the city, specifically in a southerly direction. Last night images were coming in showing how the governmenthad even armed police and traffic authorities to defend the city. However, what the Al Asad regime announced as a counteroffensive was unsuccessful. This despite Russia reporting several air support missions in which it hit rebel columns advancing on Hama.

Hama was seen as crucial strategically to halt the advance of the Islamist rebels, who can now continue toward Homs and then Damascus, the capital. Now, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), the rebels led by the radical Islamistsof Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) completely seized all points in and around the city.

The rebels "entered several neighborhoods in the city of Hama, where fighting is taking place in the streets with regime forces," the OSDH told AFP.

The OSDH reported "fierce" fighting Thursday morning between rebels led by radical HTS Islamistsand the Syrian army, which had sent reinforcements to the city.

The rebels managed to almost completely encircle Syria's fourth-largest city on Wednesday night, following a lightning offensive from the north that allowed them to regain control of Aleppo.

On Thursday they announced they had seized the Hama prison and freed hundreds of prisoners.