Saraqib

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Saraqib
سَرَاقِب
Saraqeb
City
Saraqib
Elevation
370 m (1,210 ft)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total34,231

Saraqib (

Syrian Civil War
, the city fell into rebel forces in 2012 and was recaptured by the Syrian Army in 2020.

It has an elevation of 370 meters above sea level. The ancient site of Ebla is situated five kilometers south of the city.[1] Nearby localities include Mardikh and Maar Dibsah to the south, Tronba and al-Nayrab to the west, Sarmin to the northwest, Taftanaz to the north, Talhiyah to the northeast, Tell Touqan to the east and Kafr Amim to the southeast. The M4 and M5 motorways intersect near Saraqib.[2]

According to the

Sunni Muslims.[4]

History

Ottoman era

A large community of

Ma'arat al-Numan, Saraqib is well known for its elaborate black cotton cloth embroidery.[6]

Modern Syrian Republic

On 26 February 1959, former president Gamal Abdel Nasser addressed the city's residents in a speech commemorating the union between Egypt and Syria forming the United Arab Republic.[7]

Syrian Civil War

The town of Saraqib lies at a strategic junction of the Aleppo-Damascus and Aleppo-Latakia roads. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, from at least April 2011, the town has seen popular opposition to Bashar al-Assad's government.[8] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that over 200 anti-government activist suspects were arrested when Syrian security forces captured the city on 11 August 2011.[9]

Syrian government forces recaptured the city in the

Suqour al-Sham—coordinated an attack on three government checkpoints at entrances to the town.[11]

On 23 January 2017,

Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.[12] On 19 July 2017 the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which was created after the merger of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other rebel factions, recaptured the city from Ahrar al-Sham militants.[13] Saraqib was bombed in September 2017 as part of a government/Russian offensive against rebel territories in Idlib and Hama.[14]

On 3 February 2018, Russian military pilot

Maarrat al-Nu'man (57 km (35 mi) north of the city of Hama), or the town of Saraqib, according to other sources,[15][16] with a shoulder launched surface to air missile. He committed suicide by blowing his grenade
to avoid capture.

On 15 October 2018, the

hisbah, driving around the city with loudspeakers calling on people to adhere to sharia.[17]

In July 2019,

improvised explosive devices were detonated by ISIL.[18]

On 6 February 2020, the city fell to the Syrian Army in the

5th Northwestern Syria offensive,[19] but had been retaken weeks later by 26 February during a Syrian opposition and Turkish counter attack.[20] On 1 March 2020, Saraqib was once again under Syrian Army control.[21] On 2 March 2020, the Russian Reconciliation Centre in Syria announced that Russian Military Police had been deployed to the city.[22]

Sports

The local football team is called Saraqib Sporting Club. Founded in 1980, the club last played in the Syrian League 2nd Division.

References

  1. ^ Gockel and Bruns, p. 87.
  2. ^ Jansen, Michael (26 February 2020). "Capture of M5 one of the most celebrated prizes in Damascus' campaign to regain territory". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. ^ General Census of Population and Housing 2004 Archived 2013-02-06 at the Wayback Machine. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Idlib Governorate. (in Arabic)
  4. ^ Oweis, Khaled Yacoub. Syrian opposition won't talk to officials linked to crackdown, Reuters, 15 February 2013.
  5. ^ Berland, p. 73.
  6. ^ Shoup 2008, p. 96.
  7. ^ Information Department, 1960, p. 65.
  8. ^ Filiu, p. 169.
  9. ^ "Tensions ripple in Syria as U.S., Turkey address crisis". CNN. 11 August 2011.
  10. ^ "In Rebel Syria: Celebrating Assad's Departure–Even Though He's Still Staying", time.com, 20 July 2012.
  11. ISBN 9780190613464
    – via Google Books.
  12. ^ @Lawrence1918x (January 24, 2017). "Reports that Ahrar is now in full control of Saraqib - a very strategic place in Idlib CS since it used to supply S Aleppo and Hama" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Al-Qaeda wins the upper hand in Idlib as jihadist groups unleash hell upon one another". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. 2017-07-20. Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  14. ^ Suleiman Al-Khalidi Russia, Syria intensify bombing of rebel-held Idlib, witnesses say, Reuters, 24 September 2017
  15. ^ "Syria rebels shoot down Russian jet, capture pilot - monitor". Deutsche Welle. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Источник: Сбитый в Сирии самолет оказался российским Су-25". vz.ru.
  17. ^ "New video message from Ḥurās al-Dīn: "Part of the Works of the Ḥisbah in Sarāqib"". Jihadology/. 15 October 2018.
  18. ^ "The town of Saraqeb witnesses violent explosions and clashes between Tahrir Al-Sham and ISIS active cells in Idlib province". SOHR. 29 July 2019.
  19. ^ News Desk (2020-02-06). "Syrian Army captures strategic city of Saraqib". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. Archived from the original on 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  20. ^ McKernan, Bethan (2020-02-27). "Syrian rebels retake key town in Idlib from Assad force". The Guardian.com. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  21. ^ Backed by Russian airpower, regime forces recapture Saraqib city only four days after Turkish forces and proxy factions captured it
  22. ^ Suchkov, Maxim A. (2 March 2020). "Intel: What is Russia's next move after Turkish attack on Syrian forces?". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2020-03-05.

Bibliography
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