Militants flee by the hundreds in wake of Syrian Army operation across north Hama

Militants chaotically retreated from the front-line area in northern Hama province during the wake of a new Syrian Army operation that kicked-off on the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning.
According to field reporters at the front, the initial shock of the Syrian Army offensive was so violent in terms of shelling and gunfire from heavy support weapons that hundreds of insurgents simply abandoned their positions. Most of those that did try to maintain the defense line west of Arbaeen and around Zakat towns (both currently under Syrian Army control) are now dead.
About 40 jihadists are believed to have been killed within the first four hours of the Syrian Army operation in Hama province.
Indeed, militants found themselves being accurately engaged by tank and machine gun fire during the darkest hours of the night from Syrian Army units equipped thermal-vision equipment.
This seems to have been the final demoralizing blow for hundreds of insurgents after two previous days of pin-point airstrikes that destroyed dozens of their tactical positions and rear area bases across northern Hama.
Reports suggest that withdrawing insurgents have pulled back to both Kafr Zita or Al-Latamaneh cities, either of which could be stormed by the Syrian Army in the coming hours.