Syrian rebels oust regime forces from key central city of Hama, on route to Damascus

AMMAN, Jordan (Reuters) — Syrian rebels ousted pro-government forces from Hama on Thursday, bringing the insurgents a major new victory after a lightning advance across northern Syria and dealing a new blow to President Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

The Syrian army announced that the rebels had entered Hama after intense clashes and said it was redeploying outside the city “to preserve civilians’ lives and prevent urban combat.”

Rebels said they had taken districts in the city’s northeast and had seized the central prison, freeing detainees. Al Jazeera television broadcast what it said were images of rebels inside the city, some of them meeting civilians near a roundabout while others drove in military vehicles and on mopeds.  (Read More)