Syrian rebels enter central city of Hama in latest blow to Assad regime

The Syrian army on Thursday said it had lost control of the key central city of Hama and withdrawn its troops after rebel forces broke through its defences. The insurgents, who are led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), began their lightning advance a week ago and quickly seized swathes of territory, including Syria’s second city Aleppo.