Rebel forces in Syria have taken the city of Hama.
The development comes just days after rebels led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group captured Aleppo — dealing a massive blow to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Hama is important because of its location – it is between Aleppo and Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad’s power base.
The city, with a population of about one million, is predominantly Sunni Muslim but also has a minority from the Alawite sect of Shiite Islam, to which Assad belongs.
His family has ruled Syria for over five decades.
But did you know that Hama, which is Syria’s fourth-largest city, has a dark history?
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/bloody-history-of-hama-taken-by-syrian-rebels-13842048.html.
