A group of Syrian journalists headed toward Hama were hit by an airstrike, killing photographer Anas Alkharboutli.

Syria said Wednesday its counteroffensive has pushed back insurgents attempting to advance to the strategic central city of Hama, while the insurgency says it captured more Syrian troops and Iran-backed militants in fierce battles.

Fierce battles continue in the outskirts of Hama as Syrian opposition fighters advance after capturing much of Aleppo.

The rebels have set their sights on an area where President Bashar al-Assad’s government has long maintained strength.

Islamist-led rebels advanced on Syria's fourth-largest city Hama Tuesday, buoyed by their lightning capture of swathes of the north in an offensive that ended four years of relative calm.Normally, it would take just a couple of hours to reach Syria's third city,

Syrian rebels battled government forces and allied militia on Wednesday in villages north and east of Hama, a major city whose capture would pile pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.

If the insurgents seize the city of Hama, the coastal cities of Tartous and Latakia could be isolated from the rest of the country.

A Syrian photographer working for the German news agency dpa was killed by a fighter jet attack near the Syrian city of Hama, dpa reported on Wednesday. A freelancer who was with Anas Alkharboutli when the strike happened said a group of journalists were heading into Hama countryside when they heard a plane.