On 30 July 2019, after recapturing the villages of Tal Maleh and Jibeen the day before, the Syrian Army decided to continue its advance in northern Hama governorate. Capitalizing on the rebel retreat from Jibeen, the Army’s Tiger Forces shock troops unexpectedly rushed towards the town of Zakah (Zakat). Supported by an extensive air and artillery bombardment which cratered fields and destroyed several houses, the Army captured a small village called Abu Raidi Gharbiyah and now finds itself in control of key farmlands on the southern and southwestern approaches to Zakah, a town held by the rebels since December 2012. If the Syrian Army manages to capture this town, it could set the scene for an assault on the Free Syrian Army stronghold of Kafr Zita or a move further eastward to besiege the frontline bastion town of Lataminah. The strategic balance in Northern Hama has not been fundamentally altered yet, but the next few days could prove crucial to the future of the area going forward.

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