Al-Otaiba ambush
| Al-Otaiba ambush | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Ghouta, Syria | |
| Result | Hezbollah victory |
Al-Nusra Front
HezbollahSupported by:
Syrian Arab Republic Unknown commander † Mustafa Badreddine[1]
Ra'fat Salman Abu Rahhal[2]The Al-Otaiba ambush was a successful
Various reports suggest that over 100 al-Nusra fighters were killed, which makes the ambush a major victory for Hezbollah. According to analysts, the operation may have tightened the government's grip on east Damascus.[8]
Ambush
In early 2014,
1. Hezbollah reconnaissance and surveillance confirm recurring infiltration route of rebel insurgents.
2. IEDs/military-grade munitions emplaced in kill zone for simultaneous command detonation.
3. Hezbollah commander to initiate ambush with command detonation and automatic weapons fires.
4. Support element prepares to videotape ambush for social media exploitation.
5. Support elements occupy hidden positions with overlapping sectors of fire into kill zone.
6. Hezbollah support element with heavy machinegun prepared to engage along entire length of kill zone.
At approximately midnight, the insurgents from al-Nusra front began moving. The Nusra fighters, who were traveling by convoy, exited their vehicles and for unclear reasons proceeded on foot. Around 2:45 A.M., the insurgents arrived at the ambush site in Al-Utayba.[6]
7. Hezbollah security element alerts leader of 175-200 dismounted rebel insurgents approaching on trail.
8. Hezbollah leader command detonates munitions once majority of enemy are in the kill zone.
9. Hezbollah support elements isolate enemy with automatic fires in designated sectors of fire of kill zone.
10. Ambush and support elements contain and destroy rebels in kill zone.
11. Support elements clear and exploit the kill zone after the ambush and report to cell leader.
12. Hezbollah media cell videotapes ambush success. Rebel insurgent cells disperse and exfiltrate from area.
They were then attacked by
Media
The ambush was carefully filmed by Hezbollah cells and published by Al-Manar for propaganda purposes.[4] Their video of the ambush shows that the attack had a primary wave of IED detonations, causing the brunt of the casualties, and then a smaller secondary wave.[11]
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV station reported that the fighters were trying to break out of Eastern Ghouta to join battles in either the town of Deraa or the Qalamoun mountains. The rebel group Jaish al-Islam claimed the dead were civilians, trying to escape a siege.[9]
References
- ^ "Mostafa Badreddine: What You Planted in Syria is Being Harvested". Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Eastern Ghouta: Rebels kill one of al-Otaiba ambush masterminds". zamanalwsl.net. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "175 rebels killed near Damascus, Syrian government says". Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, Angela (January 2017). "Threat Tactics Report: Hizballah". 1.0. United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.
- ^ a b "175 rebels killed near Damascus, Syrian government says - Finance News - London South East". Lse.co.uk. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Syrian Army Conducts A Massive Operation Near The Jordanian Border". Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Mostafa Badreddine: What You Planted in Syria is Being Harvested". alahedlb.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Syrian forces 'kill many rebels' in Eastern Ghouta". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 28 February 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ a b c "BBC News - Syrian forces 'kill many rebels' in Eastern Ghouta". Bbc.com. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ Kalin, Stephen (26 February 2014). "Pro-Assad forces kill 175 rebels in ambush: Syrian state media". Reuters. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Major Ambush by Syrian Army Eliminates Over 175 Wahhabi Terrorists in Eastern Ghouta". YouTube. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
Attribution:
This article incorporates United States government.
