Battle of Bosra (2015)

Last updated
Battle of Bosra
Part of the Syrian Civil War
2015 Spring Daraa Offensive.svg
Map showing the rebel offensive to seize Bosra
Date21–25 March 2015
(4 days)
Location
Result

Rebel victory

  • Tension between Islamic Muthanna Movement and al-Sunna lions brigade [1]
Territorial
changes
  • Rebels capture Bosra
Belligerents
Syrian revolution flag.svg Free Syrian Army
Flag of the Islamic Courts Union.svg Islamic Muthanna Movement [2]
Flag of the Al-Nusra Front.svg Jabhat al-Nusra [3]

Flag of Syria.svg Syrian Arab Republic

InfoboxHez.PNG  Hezbollah [4]
Flag of Iran.svg Iranian IRGC [4]

Flag of Iraq.svg Imam al-Hussein Brigade [5]
Commanders and leaders
Gen. Bashar al-Zoubi
(Southern Front leader)
Ahmad Alouda
(Shabab alsunna brigade leader)
Abu Kadhim Khudr  [5]
(Imam al-Hussein Brigade commander)
Units involved

Syria-flag 1932-58 1961-63.svg Southern Front [2]

Flag of Syria.svg 52nd Brigade
Flag of Syria.svg 17th Brigade [6]
Casualties and losses
21–25 killed [7] [6] Unknown
4 civilians killed [8] [9]

The Battle of Bosra refers to a military operation launched by Syrian rebels during the Syrian Civil War, in order to capture the city of Bosra.

Contents

The battle

On 21 March 2015, the offensive was launched by rebels on Syrian Army positions in and around Bosra. [7]

On 24 March 2015, rebels advanced in the town and besieged a number of soldiers in the ancient citadel, [2] which the Army relieved after a counterattack. [6] The Syrian Air Force launched 10 airstrikes on the town, while 30 barrel bombs were also dropped that day. [10] The Army also fired rockets on the nearby Maaraba hospital, where injured rebels were being treated, which completely levelled the building. [11]

On 25 March 2015, FSA rebels backed by Islamist factions captured the town and its UNESCO archaeological sites. [7] [12] According to a pro-government source, Army and militia units retreated from their positions in the town after the promised reinforcements were not deployed. [4]

Aftermath

On 29 March, local clashes took place in Glen town between the Islamic Muthanna Movement and al-Sunna lions brigade after an "argument" occurred about dividing the seized weapons and ammunition from Bosra. One fighter from the Islamic Muthanna Movement was killed, while three fighters were injured from both sides in the clashes. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Idlib offensive</span> Rebel advances

The 2014 Idlib offensive was a series of operations conducted by the rebels against the Syrian Government in the Idlib Governorate during the Syrian Civil War. The clashes were mostly concentrated around Khan Shaykhun and on the highway towards Maarrat al-Nu'man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Wadi Deif (2014)</span> Siege of two Syrian Army bases

The siege of Wadi Deif refers to the siege of two Syrian Army bases, Wadi Deif and Hamadiyah, by rebel forces, during the 2014 Idlib offensive of the Syrian Civil War. The first siege of these two bases was broken by the Syrian Army on 18 April 2013. During the siege, rebels detonated several 'tunnel bombs' underneath army positions surrounding the bases, which was similar to the tactics used during the First World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict</span> 2014 event during the Syrian Civil War

The al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict started in late October 2014, during the Syrian Civil War, in Idlib and Aleppo governorates, during which al-Nusra attempted to establish an Islamic state rival to that of ISIL. Despite this, the al-Nusra Front and Free Syrian Army factions continued to cooperate in the southern Syrian governorates of Quneitra and Daraa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin (2014)</span> Military operation

The Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin started with a Syrian Arab Army attempt, during the Syrian civil war in Daraa Governorate, to capture Al-Shaykh Maskin and thus secure the Daraa–Damascus highway. Two days later, the rebels launched their offensive, code-named "Edkholo Alayhem al-Bab" and "Hadm al-Jedar", to take control of Al-Shaykh Maskin and the nearby town of Nawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daraa offensive (January 2015)</span> Military operation

The Daraa offensive , was a rebel offensive launched in Daraa Governorate during the Syrian civil war, in an attempt to capture the remaining Army positions in Shaykh Maskin, and thus secure the Daraa–Damascus highway, and other positions in Daraa province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Southern Syria offensive</span> Military operation

The 2015 Southern Syria offensive, code-named "Operation Martyrs of Quneitra", was an offensive launched in southern Syria during the Syrian Civil War by the Syrian Arab Army, Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces. Government forces also include Iranian sponsored Afghani Shi'ite volunteer militias. The name "Operation Martyrs of Quneitra" refers to the January 2015 Mazraat Amal incident, in which several high level Hezbollah and IRGC members were killed in an Israeli strike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Muthanna Movement</span>

The Islamic Muthanna Movement was a Syrian Salafist rebel group based in Daraa that had been active during Syrian Civil War. After its formation in 2012 as the "Muthanna bin Haritha Vanquisher of the Persians Battalion", it expanded to a sizable group. The group has been described by the As-Safir newspaper as "one of the most powerful armed factions in Daraa".

Operation Rainbow was an operation launched by the Syrian Army, supported by Hezbollah and other allied militias, during the Syrian Civil War, following a successful operation which led to the military encircling Aleppo from the east side and reaching the city's northern approach. The aim of the operation, as the previous one, was to encircle Aleppo and cut rebel supply lines into the city, thus besieging rebel-held areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Idlib (2015)</span> Military operation in Syria

The Battle of Idlib was a military operation in the Idlib Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War, conducted by rebels against Syrian government forces defending Idlib city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Idlib offensive</span> Military operation

The 2015 Idlib offensive refers to a series of rebel operations in the Idlib Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War. The offensive started with a rebel assault on the capital of the province, Idlib. According to The Economist, the capture of Idlib came about largely because Gulf Arab states "gave more backing to their proxies despite American objections."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015)</span>

The Northwestern Syria offensive , dubbed by the rebels as the Battle of Victory, took place in the Idlib and Hama governorates during the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daraa and As-Suwayda offensive (June 2015)</span>

The Daraa and As-Suwayda offensive was launched in eastern Daraa Governorate during the Syrian Civil War, by the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army and allied Islamic Front rebel group against government positions in and around the 52nd Mechanized Brigade base, which housed an infantry unit, an artillery battalion and a T-72 tank battalion. The offensive moved directly onto nearby al-Thula airbase in western As-Suwayda Governorate after the swift capture of Brigade 52. However, after initially managing to capture parts of the airbase, the rebels were forced to withdraw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tell Abyad offensive</span> May 2015 military operation of the Syrian Civil War

The Tell Abyad offensive or Martyr Rubar Qamışlo operation was a military operation that began in late May 2015 in the northern Raqqa Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War. It was conducted by the Kurdish-majority People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The offensive took place from the end of May until July 2015. The campaign was the second phase of the Kurdish Operation Commander Rûbar Qamishlo, which began with the Al-Hasakah offensive, and involved the merger of the Kobanî offensive with the former. The focus of the campaign was to capture the key border town of Tell Abyad, and to link the Kobanî and Jazira Cantons in Northern Syria.

The Quneitra offensive was launched by Syrian rebel forces, during the Syrian Civil War, in order to capture the last government-held positions in Quneitra Governorate: Hader, Madinat al-Baath, Khan Arnabah and the strategic hill of Tell Krum. The other objective was connecting southern rebel-held parts of Syria with Western Ghouta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daraa offensive (June–July 2015)</span>

The Daraa offensive was a rebel operation in the Daraa Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War. It was led by the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army and also included the Army of Conquest "southern sector", of which the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham are part of, against Syrian government forces defending Daraa city and the surrounding towns.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to July 2015. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleppo offensive (October–December 2015)</span> Operation that started on 16 October 2015

The Aleppo offensive was a Syrian Army large-scale strategic offensive south of Aleppo. The main objective of the operation was to secure the Azzan Mountains, while also creating a larger buffer zone around the only highway to the provincial capital controlled by the Syrian government. A related objective was to establish favourable conditions for a planned offensive to isolate rebel forces in Aleppo City and to relieve the long-standing siege of a pro-government enclave in Aleppo Governorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–2016 Latakia offensive</span> Military operation

The 2015–2016 Latakia offensive was a campaign of the Syrian Civil War that was launched by government forces in October 2015 to recapture rebel-held territory in the Latakia Governorate bordering Turkey.

The Daraa offensive was a military operation of two groups allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade and the Islamic Muthanna Movement, against Syrian opposition forces in the Daraa Governorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2020 Daraa clashes</span> Part of the Syrian Civil War

The March 2020 Daraa clashes was an armed conflict between rebel fighters aligned with the Free Syrian Army and Syrian government forces in the Daraa Governorate. Clashes began after the start of a government security operation against FSA insurgent cells in Al-Sanamayn and other areas in the Daraa governorate that have been active since 2018 after the defeat of rebel forces in the province. This crackdown led to actions of retaliation by rebels across the province that lead to levels of fighting unseen on such a scale since the government offensive in 2018. The fighters involved in the attack are believed to be former rebel fighters that surrendered to the government in 2018, as well as former rebels that defected to the government, and had been working against the government from within.

References

  1. 1 2 Master. "Clashes between 2 Islamic battalions in Dar'a countryside". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Syria rebels storm Idlib city in three-pronged attack". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Jabhat al-Nusra looks for battlefield breakout". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 ROMAN-ERA TOWN FALLS TO REBELS
  5. 1 2 "archicivilians on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Leith Fadel (24 March 2015). "The Syrian Arab Army Regains Full Control Over the Busra Al-Sham Castle; Fierce Clashes Ongoing". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Master. "Rebel and Islamic battalions take control on Busra al-Sham". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  8. sohranas. "14 members of the regime forces and Islamic battalions killed in Daraa and al- Suwaydaa". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  9. sohranas. "The opposition shells kill 16 people in Aleppo and Idlib, while 12 fighters died in Daraa". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  10. المرصد السوري. "نحو 40 غارة وبرميل نفذها وألقاها الطيران الحربي والمروحي على بصرى الشام والمقاتلون يتقدمون في البلدة". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  11. "Syria rebels seize ancient town near Jordanian border". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  12. "Mainstream Syrian rebels seize historic town in south: monitor". Reuters. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.


32°31′05″N36°28′54″E / 32.5181°N 36.4817°E / 32.5181; 36.4817