Rebels have launched battles for one of Syria's largest cities, successfully capturing key locations.

The Syrian opposition has launched an attack on the city of Hama. The advance units of the rebels were already within the city limits, but were forced to retreat after capable units of Bashar Assad's regime army approached.

According to Clash Reports, prior to this, a convoy of Russian military personnel left the city heading south towards Homs. Meanwhile, government troops have gradually begun to gather in Hama, where they are establishing defensive positions.

Recent maps indicate that the rebels managed to seize the base of the 87th Brigade on the approaches to the city. Additionally, media outlets report the capture of a tank school, which was considered one of the key strongholds on the way to Hama and the headquarters of the 25th Brigade of the Syrian army.

Estimates suggest that the rebels have managed to liberate more territory to the southeast of their previous control zone. However, it is important to note that this area is mostly desert with small settlements, so significant fighting is unlikely to occur there.

OSINT analyst M.T. Anderson reported that the Russian fleet, which was stationed in the city of Tartus, west of Hama, has departed from its bases due to concerns about the rebels' advance. Three frigates, a submarine, and two auxiliary vessels were present there.

As is known, on the evening of November 27, it became clear that the HTS militants had launched a serious offensive on Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo. Apparently, they managed to catch Assad's forces off guard, as the city completely fell under the control of the insurgents in just one day.