The Syrian army has now conceded that it has lost control of the key city of Hama, following reports that rebel fighters had entered the city and seized control of a prison.
This concession comes after the Syrian army previously said there was no truth to reports rebels had entered any city district and that its forces remained stationed around Hama's outskirts.
A monitor of Syria's war said rebel fighters entered the strategic central city of Hama on Thursday, part of a lightning offensive that has seen them take swathes of territory from government forces.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied factions "entered the city of Hama from several sides", the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, reporting "street fighting against regime forces in a number of areas".
Syrian rebels said they seized control on Thursday of Hama prison and released inmates, after a war monitor said the fighters had entered several parts of the city.
"Our forces entered Hama central prison and liberated hundreds of prisoners," said Hassan Abdel Ghani, a leader from the rebel factions' military operations unit, on Telegram.
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