Sudden attack by Tahrir Al-Sham and the factions in the western countryside of Salamiyah leaves more than 28 dead and injured among the regime forces and warplanes heavily raid east of Hama

Hama Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the southeastern countryside of Hama witnessed violent battles between the regime forces and their allied militiamen on one hand and fighters of Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham and other factions on the other. The SOHR learned that clashes broke out after midnight as a result of a violent attack by Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham and other factions on the regime-controlled Taldara area located in the eastern countryside of Salamiyah, which is located in the southeastern countryside of Hama. The attack on the village coincided with another on the areas of Dahrat Al-Deiba, Qobat Al-Kordi, and Al-Rabiyah, which are located at the contact lines with the areas controlled by the factions and Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham in the southeastern countryside of Hama, which is linked to the northern countryside of Homs. The attack was also accompanied by an exchange of intensive shelling between both parties on areas in the vicinity of Taldara and on other nearby areas. In consequence, Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham along with the other factions managed to take control of Taldara Battalion and other positions of the regime forces but were forced to withdraw at dawn today as a result of the regime’s violent counter attack on the area and of the shelling by warplanes on areas in the vicinity of Taldara. Not only did the clashes, which ended at dawn today, Tuesday the 29th of August 2017, force the fighters of Tahrir Al-Sham and the factions to withdraw from the area, they also caused the death and injury of 28 members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen; the death of at least 10 of them was confirmed. In addition, 5 fighters of the factions lost their lives in this attack and others were injured. The death toll is still likely to rise because some of the injured are in a critical condition.

On the other hand, warplanes shelled areas in the villages of Al-Qantara, Al-Dalak and Bregheth in the southern and the southeastern countryside of Hama. However, no casualties were reported. Helicopters also dropped barrel bombs on areas in Bregheth village in the southern countryside of Hama. This coincided with intensive shelling by the regime forces on areas in Al-Qantara and Al-Sat’hiyat in the southeastern countryside of Hama. In addition, warplanes carried out after midnight more raids on areas in the villages of Al-Qastal, Al-Naimia, Jorah, Hedaj, Abu Al-Fashafesh, Tahmaz, Qolayb Al-Thawr, Al-‘Amya and Abu Hakfa, near Uqayribat in the eastern countryside of Hama. Information was reported about the death and injury of several civilians in Al-‘Amya village while attempting to flee the area. The regime forces also shelled after midnight areas in the vicinity of the towns of Al-Lataminah and Kafrzeta in the northern countryside of Hama. However, no casualties were reported.