Hama marks one year since rebel capture that led to Assad’s fall

Thousands of people gathered in Hama on Thursday to mark one year since opposition forces expelled forces from the regime of deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad, in a military advance widely seen as a decisive moment in the "Deterrence  of Aggression” operation that led to the regime’s collapse.

On 5 December 2024, opposition factions led by current President Ahmed al-Sharaa's Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group entered Hama after breaking through regime positions in several eastern neighbourhoods.

According to Syria TV’s coverage at the time, the push into the city began around 11am from the eastern axis following overnight breaches in al-Sawa’eq, al-Hamidiyah and Tishreen Suburb.

Fighters advanced through al-Arba’in, al-Qusour and Jisr al-Mazarib amid heavy clashes supported by Russian airstrikes and artillery north of the city.

Earlier that morning, opposition groups tightened control over the strategic Mount Zain al-Abidin, seizing more than 20 military sites and villages in Hama’s northern and eastern countryside, including Brigade 66.

Russian aircraft launched repeated strikes on towns and villages newly seized by the rebels, including Khattab, Taybat al-Imam and Maardas, resulting in civilian casualties.

By midday, opposition Syria TV broadcast live footage from the city’s eastern districts as a regime helicopter was hit overhead and military and security officials fled toward Homs and the coast.

The remaining defensive positions in the military housing zone and around the artillery college collapsed during the regime’s withdrawal overnight.

A major turning point occurred shortly after 3pm, when opposition units entered Hama Central Prison and released hundreds of detainees. Footage showed prisoners exiting their cells into the courtyard. Within the hour, opposition forces seized the police command building and issued calls for residents in Homs to join the uprising.

By early evening, the Military Operations Administration announced the full liberation of Hama, and commanders later reported securing Hama Military Airport, Mount Zain al-Abidin and the village of Qamhana, describing the wider area as "militarily secure".

Field sources told Syria TV that regime forces focused on withdrawal rather than fighting, contributing to the rapid collapse, similar to earlier retreats in Aleppo.

Hama’s significance extended beyond the battlefield.

The city was the site of the 1982 massacre in which forces under Hafez al-Assad killed an estimated 30,000–40,000 people. The 2024 takeover marked the first time in decades that the city had been free from Assad regime rule.

On Thursday, large crowds gathered in al-Assi Square waving flags and marking the anniversary. The celebrations come amid broader political shifts. Al Jazeera reported that Hama’s residents described a sense of relief compared with the fear that dominated public life under Assad.

The fall of Hama was followed within days by the capture of Damascus, ending Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule as he fled to Russia.

Al-Sharaa, now head of a five-year transitional administration, has since led efforts to restore Syria’s international standing, securing sanctions relief and receiving delegations from foreign governments, including the United Nations Security Council.

However, Syrians continue to struggle amid ongoing instability in the country’s Alawite and Druze regions, where sectarian clashes earlier this year left thousands dead. Israeli strikes, including one last week near Beit Jinn that killed at least 13 people, continue to add to the volatility.

Despite the broader challenges, the events in Hama are a key part in Syrians celebrating their liberation from the Assad regime, which brought unprecedented suffering to the country.