DUBAI, UAE - The Syrian Arab Army has launched a counteroffensive against Islamist-led rebels, pushing armed groups more than 20 kilometers away from the outskirts of Hama city following intense clashes in the northern countryside of the province, a war monitor reported.

 

"After midnight, regime forces launched a counterattack" with air support on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels near Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Wednesday.

 

The SOHR reported "fierce battles" had taken place around Hama, as rebels "failed to control" an area near the city.

 

Following years of relative calm, Islamist-led rebels last week launched a surprise offensive, capturing Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city from government control.

 

The Syrian army has reported killing over 1,600 Islamist rebels since last week.

 

The army’s operations, supported by Russian airstrikes, have pushed back rebels from Hama and nearby regions.

 

Syrian state media SANA reported that the army has "successfully" reclaimed territory from the rebel groups, "destroying militant infrastructure."

 

According to the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, the offensive involved extensive missile strikes over the past 24 hours, killing at least 100 militants and destroying 12 tanks across Hama, Idlib, and Aleppo provinces.

 

“Key militant facilities, including observation posts, missile systems, and ammunition depots, were also neutralized," according to the center.

 

Meanwhile, the Syrian military said they continued their advances on multiple fronts, ensuring the recaptured territories were “fully secured from counterattacks.”

 

Wednesday’s developments came a day after the war monitor SOHR reported rebel groups were at the gates of Hama.

 

The United Nations has reported that around 50,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since last week. 

 

Over 600 people have been killed, including 104 civilians in the week-long deadly clashes, according to the SOHR.

 

Iraq, which is seriously worried about the resurgence of extremist groups in neighboring Syria, has assured Damascus of its support, sending troops and heavy weapons to secure its 600-kilometer-long border with Syria.

 

In a phone call on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani told President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey that Baghdad would not "stand idly by to watch the dangerous repercussions taking place in Syria."