Rif Dimashq offensive (June–October 2016)

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Rif Dimashq offensive (June–October 2016)
Part of the
Ghouta, Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria
Result

Syrian government victory

  • Army and Hezbollah capture Mayda’a[8][9][10] Al-Bahariyah,[1] Hawsh Al-Farah, Hawsh Nasri,[11] Tell Sawwan and Tell Kurdi[12]
Belligerents

Syrian Arab Republic

Palestine Liberation Army[1]
Hezbollah[1]
al-Jabalawi Battalion[2]

border=no Guardians of the Dawn[3]

Jaysh al-Islam[4]
Al-Nusra Front[4]
Al-Rahman Legion[1]
Syrian opposition al-Majd Brigades[5][6]
Fajr al-Ummah[7]

Ahrar al-Sham[7]Commanders and leaders Col. Naeem Ahmed †[13]
(Republican Guard commander) Tofiq Khalid al-Khansour †[14]
(Jaysh al-Islam senior commander)
Abdul Nasr Shmeir[15]
(Al-Rahman Legion chief commander)
Abu Allam[16]
(Al-Rahman Legion commander)
Abu Na’im[16]
(Al-Rahman Legion commander)Units involved

Syrian Army

Ministry of Interior

Syrian opposition al-Majd Brigades

  • Abo Mosa Al Ashaari Brigade[5]
Strength 15,000[19] Unknown

The Rif Dimashq offensive (June–October 2016) is a

Ghouta.[20]

The offensive

Government forces capture Mayda’a

On 21 June, 102nd Brigade of the

Republican Guard, backed by the Palestine Liberation Army and Hezbollah, captured al-Bahariyah Hill, and soon after overran the rebel defenses at al-Bahariyah, capturing the entire village. In addition to capturing al-Bahariyah, the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah also continued their advance at the Jisreen Farms, where they were able to take control of several sites near the Arab Houses.[1]

On the evening of 24 June, the Army and Hezbollah entered Mayda’a, forcing the rebels from the northern part of the town towards the center.[21] One week later, the Army captured the eastern part of Mayda’a.[22] During this time, government troops also advanced in the Al-Bahariyah Farms and towards the Mayda’a-Nashabiyah axis.[23] After reaching Mayda’a's center on 4 July,[24] the following day, after nearly two weeks of fighting, the government captured Mayda’a.[8][9] With the capture of Mayda’a, the Army cut the rebel's main ammunition supply line for Eastern Ghouta.[25]

On 7 July, a rebel counter-attack recaptured several blocks of Mayda’a, but the following day the military managed to seize back all territory lost, securing Mayda’a once again. The troops then pushed the rebels back a few more kilometers to the west[26] and also secured the farms and road between Mayda’a and Al-Bahariyah.[27] Later that day, the Army pushed into the village of Mid’anah, capturing its eastern and southern parts.[28][29] On 9 July, the pro-opposition activist group the SOHR confirmed the Army's capture of Mayda’a.[30] Three days later, the military renewed their offensive by making attempts to advance to Hawsh Al-Farah, reportedly capturing several farms east of the village by 12 July.[17][31]

Interlude

By 15 July, the government had mostly suspended their offensive in the area. One week later, the Army launched a new assault against Hawsh Al-Farah,[32] resulting in a fierce, several-days-long battle. Government forces, attacking from two directions, first targeted the eastern and southern farms surrounding the town.[33]

Meanwhile, clashes between Jaysh al-Islam and the Al-Rahman Legion took place in Saqba, reminiscent of the inter-rebel conflict a few months earlier.[34] On 23 July, intense airstrikes targeted several rebel-held towns in East Ghouta, while clashes between government forces and rebels occurred along the al-Salam Highway.[35] Furthermore, a prisoner exchange between the government and Jaysh al-Islam took place, with a leading Syrian Army colonel and a female Republican Guard major being freed.[36]

Renewed Army advances

After capturing the surrounding farmland,[33] the Republican Guard, backed by Hezbollah and NDF units, stormed Hawsh Al-Farah itself on 26 July,[37] leading to heavy house-to-house fighting. After suffering numerous casualties, rebel forces finally retreated into the countryside on 29 July, leaving the strategically important town to the government. The fall of Hawsh Al-Farah served as a major morale boost for pro-government forces in East Ghouta, and allowed them to impose fire control over several important rebel-held cities in the area, such as Mayda’anah, Hawsh Nasri and Hawsh Shalaq.[33]

On 1 August, the Army entered Hawsh Nasri.[38] Five days later, they seized the farms near Hawsh Nasri[39] and on 9 August, took control of all[11][40] or most of the town.[41] This advance brought the Army into position to attack the hilltop of Tal Kurdi from three different flanks.[38]

On 13 August, the military took control of parts of Hawsh Al-Dawahira and its surrounding farms.[42] At the same time, the Army launched an assault on the strategic Tal Kurdi hill.[43]

On 15 August, Jaysh al-Islam launched a counter-attack to regain Hawsh Nasri, seizing several points and farms in the area of the town.[44][45] The rebels renewed their counter-assault on 20 August, and captured further positions in Hawsh Nasri, but lost them later in the day.[46] The next day, the Army fully pushed the rebels out of Hawsh Nasri, and attacked the northern flank of Hawsh Dawahrah.[47]

Back-and-forth fighting

On 22 August, the rebels launched an offensive on the western frontlines of Eastern Ghouta, on a one-kilometer front, in order to lift the pressure off the town of Darayya.[48] However, after several hours of fighting, the rebel offensive was repelled.[49] Following this, the Syrian Army continued its advances in Eastern Ghouta, storming the former signal Army base, near Al-Rayhan, and capturing the storage area of the base. Government forces also reportedly physically cut the rebel supply route between Al-Rayhan and Shifuniyah.[50]

Towards the end of August, the Army captured Al-Rayhan's farms,[51] threatening to encircle Tal Kurdi.[52] Shortly after, government forces captured parts of Al-Rayhan itself, as well as Tal Rayhan hill, placing Tal Kurdi under fire-control.[53] The Army also made advances from Hawsh Al-Farah towards Tal Sawwan, near Tal Kurdi.[54][55] Over the next three weeks, government troops captured Tal Sawwan twice, but subsequently lost it again both times. As of mid-September, the town was still being contested.[56] Meanwhile, on 5 September, pro-government forces stormed the East Ghouta Signal Base, gaining a bridgehead in its southern corridor.[57]

At sundown on 12 September, a country-wide ceasefire came into effect.[58] In the Damascus area, the ceasefire was temporarily shaken due to fighting in the suburb district of Jobar.[59]

Between 18 and 19 September, a rebel counter-attack between the East Ghouta Signal Base and Al-Reyhan village was repelled.[60] Later on 20 September, government forces captured the Signal Army Base and the surrounding warehouses.[61] In addition, between 19 and 24 September, the military captured a number of farms in the area around Al-Rayhan, cutting the road to Tal Kurdi.[62][63][64][65] On 25 September, the Army seized the Rehba al-Ishara area,[66] including the Katibat al-Ishara military base.[67] Meanwhile, the rebels launched a counter-attack to regain the Signal Base. After the assault was repelled, government forces in turn began their attack on Al-Reyhan village.[68]

After fortifying their positions at Rehba al-Ishara, on 1 October, government forces and Hezbollah units attempted to advance towards Al-Reyhan.[69] As of 3 October, they were within three kilometers of the rebel's largest stronghold in East Ghouta, the town of Douma.[70] On 11 October, the Army captured al-Rayhan[71][72] and advanced in the Al-Rayhan farms area.[73][74] Five days later, a rebel-counterattack managed to push government forces back from several positions around the town,[75] with the rebels retaking the western part of Al-Rayhan. On 18 October, the Army launched a renewed push in the west of al-Rayhan[76] in an attempt to cut the supply road for Tal Kurdi,[77] managing to capture the Sbidaj factory area.[78] On 25 October, the al-Majd Brigades seceded from the al-Rahman Legion due to the continued differences between Jaysh al-Islam and the al-Rahman Legion that hindered the rebel attempts to halt the government offensive.[5]

Army secures Tal Kurdi

On 29 October, the Army captured several factory areas, imposing fire control over Tal Kurdi.[18][79] On 30 October, after more than 50 days of continues fighting,[80] the Army had taken control of Tal Sawwan and Tal Kurdi and advanced towards Shefonia and Al-Rayhan.[12][81]

Aftermath

On 8 November, the Army reported it had captured the western farms of Al-Rayhan, encircling the rebels in western part of the town.[82] On 12 November, an advance by the Army on the town was repelled.[83]

A new offensive was launched against Al-Rayhan on 14 November,[84] while on 17 November, an attack was also started against the towns of Al-Dawahra and Midaani.[85] At least 30 civilians were killed in shelling by the Army from 17 to 20 November, on rebel-held towns in the region.[86]

The SAA launched another attack on Midaani on 20 November, capturing nine points inside the town.[87] On the next day, the SAA launched an offensive to reopen the Damascus-Homs highway near Harasta.[88] It also captured seven farms in Midaani.[89] A counterattack by Jaysh al-Islam on Mayda'a was repelled on 23 November. The group claimed that 30 soldiers had been killed in the attack, while SAA claimed it lost only 2.[90]

On 29 November, it was reported the Army and Hezbollah had captured the town of Midaani.[91][92] However, the following day, government forces were confirmed to be in control of the northern and eastern parts of the town, and attempting to secure the rest of it.[93] On 4 December, the Army once again advanced in the area of Midaani.[94] The Army cut off a rebel supply route between Al-Shifuniyah and Autaya by controlling part of it near Hawsh ad-Dawahirah on 6 December. It also recaptured most of the farms of Hawsh ash-Shalaq village[95] and captured the village itself on the next day.[96] They captured many farms on outskirts of al-Mid’aani and advanced towards Hazrama on 31 December.[97] The Army captured most of the Air Defense Battalion on 1 January 2017 near Hazrama after advancing in the farmlands over the previous days.[98][99] SAA captured Hazrama on 19 January.[98][100]

See also

References

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