Moments ago, the conglomerate of Islamist factions in northern Syria “Jaysh Al-Fateh” (Army of Conquest) has officially launched their large-scale assault in the Hama Governorate’s northern countryside in order to implement “phase 2” of their offensive operations inside this province.

Leading the way for Jaysh Al-Fateh will be Ajnad Al-Sham – they have participated in several offensives with this aforementioned Islamist group in northern Syria; however, this is the first time they are launching an offensive of this magnitude since the inception of the Russian Federation’s military participation in this Syrian Conflict.

Earlier this month, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) launched a surprise offensive in northern Hama to recapture territory they lost to the Islamist rebels near the city of Mhardeh – they were able to recover the hilltops and several villages; but, they could not take control of Kafr Naboudeh, Latmeen, or Al-Lataminah.

While the information regarding this new offensive is still limited, the Islamist rebels of Anjad Al-Sham and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham are likely to conduct this assault from the imperative city of Kafr Naboudeh; its location allows for the aforementioned Jaysh Al-Fateh factions to gain access to the several hilltops overlooking Mhardeh – a Christian city that is considered a government stronghold.

The objective of this offensive is to capture the large provincial capital of Hama; furthermore, the assault will look to secure the Idlib-Hama border that is currently under attack by the Syrian Armed Forces.