Syria Rejects Claims of Army Withdrawal from Hama
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian government has denied reports of its military retreat from the northern city of Hama, labeling the allegations as part of a coordinated "media war" designed to undermine its counterterrorism efforts.
The Syrian Defense Ministry issued a statement on Saturday refuting claims that its forces had withdrawn from the city of Hama amid attacks by foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.
The ministry emphasized that troops remained positioned in the city’s northern and eastern countryside, stating, “Towns near Hama have not been entered.”
It urged citizens “not to believe rumors published by opposition media.”
Video footage from the battlefield corroborated the ministry's position, showing Syrian soldiers confirming their deployment in the area.
The General Command of the Syrian Army described the allegations as part of a "coordinated media war" aimed at demoralizing both civilians and military personnel.
“Our valiant army remains steadfast, strong, and committed to its duty of defending the homeland and its people against all forms of terrorism and its supporters,” it said.
The General Command further disclosed that the Syrian military had redeployed forces across northern regions to prepare for a counteroffensive.
“This measure aims to reinforce defensive lines, protect the lives of civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterattack,” the statement read.
The army is awaiting the completion of military reinforcements to strengthen combat positions ahead of the operation, it added.
According to the statement, the terrorists involved in the offensive were deploying heavy weaponry and drone squadrons, causing the deaths of dozens of Syrian soldiers.
Despite this, it stressed that the terrorists failed to establish fixed positions due to "concentrated and powerful strikes by our armed forces."
Earlier reports indicated that fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri group had seized several government-held areas, killing scores of soldiers in northern Syria.
In response, the Syrian army launched a preemptive strike, thwarting large-scale terrorist operations in Aleppo Province.
The General Command cited the Russian Coordination Center in Syria, which reported that joint operations by Syrian and Russian forces had killed 300 terrorists in the past 24 hours, following the elimination of 600 militants in earlier operations.
The Syrian military linked the HTS offensive to increased Israeli airstrikes on Syrian targets, accusing Tel Aviv of aiding the terrorist group in undermining Syria’s counterterrorism campaign.
The General Command highlighted HTS’s public acknowledgment of Israel’s support, noting the group’s gratitude for the assassination of leaders from Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement earlier this year.
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party also condemned the alliance, stating, “The terrorist groups are operating under the orders of the occupation forces.”
It described Israel’s efforts to revive Takfiri terrorism as an attempt to compensate for its failures against regional resistance movements in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank.
“It has become evident that the failure of the project to undermine the resistance has driven the enemy to seek compensation on the Syrian front, which is integrally linked to the fronts of southern Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank,” the party said.
The statement concluded that this strategy would likely meet the same fate as Israel’s recent aggressions in Gaza and Lebanon, asserting that Syria’s steadfast support for the resistance continues to thwart such divisive schemes.