Army: Syrian troops 'redeploy outside Hama to preserve lives of civilians'

The Syrian army says it has redeployed its troops outside the central city of Hama to avoid urban combat and protect civilians.

The army issued a statement Thursday, saying foreign-backed terrorists have now entered some parts of the city after intense clashes that inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists and their equipment.

"Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups and the rise of a number of martyrs in the ranks of our forces, these groups were able to penetrate several axes in the city and enter it, despite suffering heavy losses in their ranks," it said.

“To preserve the lives of civilians from the people of Hama city and not to involve them in battles inside the cities, the military units stationed there have redeployed and repositioned outside the city,” it added.

Syrian armed forces, backed by artillery and missile units, are engaged in fierce fighting with terrorists in the Northwestern parts of the Arab country.

Joint Syrian-Russian airstrikes are also targeting the southern parts of Idlib province where terrorist attacks have intensified.

"Over the past few days, our armed forces have fought fierce battles to repel and thwart the violent and successive attacks launched by terrorist organizations on the city of Hama from various axes and in large numbers, using all means and military equipment, and with the help of immersion groups,” the army said.

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The Syrian and Russian air forces conduct their heaviest strikes against terrorists since their resurgence in the Arab country’s north.

The Syrian army pledged to continue its operations to repel attacks by foreign-backed terrorists in the northwestern parts of the country. 

“The General Command of the Army and Armed Forces confirms that it will continue to carry out its national duty in reclaiming the areas entered by terrorist organizations."

The Syrian army’s anti-terror operations have killed at least 2,000 terrorists since last week.

Earlier this week, members of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – a former al-Qaeda affiliate –  were reported to have overrun many government-controlled areas and killed dozens of soldiers in northern Syria.

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US-backed and Kurdish-led militants are reportedly opening up a new front against the Syrian army in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Reza Sadr al-Hosseini, an expert on West Asai affairs, said the resurgence of terrorism in Syria serves the broader American-Israeli plot to destabilize the region and undermine resistance forces in order to pave the way for their long-envisioned "New Middle East." 

Sadr al-Hosseini stressed that Syria is part of the Axis of Resistance and that Iran will ensure Syria, as a frontline state against Israel, receives the necessary support.

He also expressed confidence in Syria’s ability to address the crisis, citing its experience from 2012 to 2015 when large portions of the country were under terrorist control. 

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www.presstv.co.uk