Aftermath of battle in Syrian city of Hama with charred tanks near mosque

(4 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

++MUTE AT SOURCE++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hama, Syria - 4 January 2025
1. Aerial of Zain al-Abidin Mosque site ++MUTE++
2. Aerial of charred tanks of former Syrian army ++MUTE++
3. Various of Syrian rebels searching tank, bringing out gas mask
4. Mid of shells inside tank
5. Close of military uniform of former Syrian army on ground
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Basel Abu Ahmed, member of Syrian rebel group HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham):
"In the last battle, the Military Operations Administration surrounded the mountain and the city of Hama until they were able to liberate it."
7. Mid of charred tank
8. Various of rocket launcher
9. Various of military vehicle with portrait of former President Bashar al-Assad printed on window
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Basel Abu Ahmed, member of Syrian rebel group HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham):
"It was a huge firing base for the regime, which used to bomb most of the areas and caused people a lot of suffering. Now, after the liberation, people are able to breathe and feel relieved. The mountain is meant to be a touristic attraction. It is a beautiful mountain and there are people who visit for tourism. After liberation, it has become a popular touristic site.”
11. Charred tanks
12. Wide of Zain al-Abidin Mosque
13. Sign outside mosque
14. Tilt down of mosque's interior hall
15. Close of Shiite flag
STORYLINE:
Members of the Syrian rebel group HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) on Saturday surveyed the aftermath of a battle in Hama which left charred tanks and rocket launchers near a mountaintop mosque.

Fierce battles took place to control the strategic mountain site during the Syrian rebels' December offensive against former President Bashar Assad's forces, with the mosque turned into a military barracks.

HTS member Basel Abu Ahmed said that the rebels surrounded the mountain until the city of Hama was liberated.

The mountain served as a launching site for the bombing and military operations conducted by Assad's forces against areas controlled by rebel groups, according to Abu Ahmed.

“It was a huge firing base for the regime, which used to bomb most of the areas and caused people a lot of suffering. Now, after the liberation, people are able to breathe and feel relieved," he said.

The mosque was built in 2011, serving Shia and Alawite communities.

Since the overthrow of Assad, the mountain has once again become a popular tourist destination, Abu Ahmed said.

AP video by Ghaith Alsayed

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