Where did the anti-Assad rebels go?

Rebels have launched a major offensive against the government in Syria, seizing cities with lightning strikes that have expanded their territory.

Rebels captured the city of Hama on Thursday in a dramatic new coup against President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

The capture of Hama gives them control of the central city for the first time since the Assad rebellion descended into civil war 13 years ago.

Syria’s key ally Russia is carrying out airstrikes against rebels led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group but it is unclear whether – or if – Assad will be able to stop the advance which could threaten the life of his government.

Syria, a country of about 22 million people, is located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Turkey to the north, Lebanon and Israel to the west and southwest, Iraq to the east and Jordan to the south.

Turkey, Western powers and several Gulf Arab states have supported various aspects of the Syrian opposition to varying degrees during the conflict.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah, supported by Iran, has fought alongside the Syrian government but has been weakened by its conflict with Israel.

Israel, concerned about what it calls “Iran’s war” in Syria, has launched a military offensive in Syria.

After years of being trapped behind frozen borders, rebels have swept south from the last remaining areas under their control in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, which border Turkey, to advance a fast-moving battlefield on both sides of the civil war.

Hama lies about a third of the way down the 330km (205 miles) road that links Aleppo to Damascus.

Its capture would hamper any immediate attempt by Assad and his allies to launch a war against the rebels’ gains of the past week.

The arrival of the rebels in Hama happened less than a week after the start of the offensive that has captured Aleppo for many years.

The insurgents have been fighting to reach Hama since Tuesday, encircling the city from the north, east and west, where they encountered the Syrian army.

The capture of Hama could pave the way for an attempted coup at the crossroads between Homs and the south, including the capital Damascus.

The insurgents say they are ready to march south towards Homs, a crossroads city that connects the capital Damascus in the north with the coast.

The rebel advance on Homs, 40 kilometers (24 miles) south of Hama, could cut off Damascus in the coastal region, an area where Assad is supported and where Russian allies have a naval base and an air base in Latakia.

Rebels have been advancing on the key road linking Aleppo to Damascus, shown on the map below.

The road is vital to the rebels as it allows their fighters, who often travel in convoys of small cars and motorbikes, to move easily and quickly to their next targets – and ultimately, Damascus itself.

Assad vowed to “crush” the rebels and accused the West of trying to redraw the territory’s map.