ALEPPO, Syria — Opposition fighters have made progress in their critical quest to reach the central Syrian city of Hama, but now are being weakened by their efforts to defend Aleppo at the same time.
Hama is controlled by regime forces and their allies, who hope to use that position to access the towns of Kafriya and al-Fuah in Idlib’s countryside. Should that happen, the regime would penetrate the heart of opposition-controlled areas in northern Syria.