The highway linking Homs, the third largest Syrian city, to the central region Hama reopened on Wednesday after years of closure due to the war.
It’s another achievement in the rehabilitation of the M5 Highway, after the resumed service on the highway that connects Damascus with Homs on May 16.
The M5 Highway, also called the Damascus-Aleppo International Highway, links two of the most densely populated provinces: Damascus and Aleppo.
In 2011, the Homs-Hama Highway was cut off due to the civil war. As the last batch of rebels withdrew from the north of Homs in the middle of May, the Syrian government fully regained control of Homs and began rebuilding the highway.
Overseeing the service of the highway will enhance the government's control over the area and also have a sizable impact on Syrians socially, politically and economically.
Local residents have held a celebration for the occasion.
REUTERS
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