Battle of Zabadani (2012)

Last updated
Battle of Zabadani (2012)
Part of the 2011-12 Damascus clashes
of the early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war and Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian civil war
Date7–18 January 2012 (First phase)
4–11 February 2012 (Second phase)
Location
Zabadani, Rif Dimashq, Syria
Result

FSA/rebel victory after the first phase.
Syrian Army victory after the second phase

Contents

  • Free Syrian Army is left in control of the city [1] [2] and the adjoining town of Madaya in mid-January [3]
  • Syrian Army retakes control of Madaya [4] and takes control over Zabadani in mid-February [5]
Belligerents

Syrian revolution flag.svg  Syrian opposition

Flag of Syria.svg Syrian Arab Republic

InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah [6]
Commanders and leaders
Abu Adnan Muhammad Adnan Zaitoun[ citation needed ] Unknown
Units involved
Hamza bin Abdulmuttalib Battalion

Flag of the Syrian Arab Army.svg 3rd Division

  • 49th Armoured Brigade
  • 132nd Mechanised Brigade

Flag of the Syrian Arab Army.svg 4th Division

  • 555th Airborne Regiment
Strength
250 FSA soldiers [7] 1,000 soldiers
300 armored vehicles,
100 tanks [8] (2nd phase)
(opposition claim)
Casualties and losses
80+ killed[ citation needed ] 30 [9] – 40 [10] killed
(opposition claim)

22 civilians killed (first phase)

100 killed (second phase)

The Battle of Zabadani took place in January through February 2012, during the Syrian civil war. During the initial stages of the battle, the rebel FSA took control of the town. However, less than a month later, the Army retook control of Zabadani, forcing rebel fighters to withdraw towards the Lebanese border.

Battle

First phase

The battle began when the city was stormed by the Syrian Army on 7 January 2012. This operation followed large-scale anti-government protests in the city and in the wider Rif Dimashq Governorate. An anti-government activist group claimed that 12 civilians including three children were killed when the town was bombarded by tanks in the initial operation. [11]

Zabadani was once again stormed by the Syrian army on 13 January. However, their attack was repelled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which held control of large parts of the city. The Syrian army held its positions on the outskirts. Amateur video footage obtained by Reuters showed armed FSA fighters patrolling empty streets. [12]

On 18 January, both sides agreed to a ceasefire. It was also agreed that the Syrian army would leave the city and that the FSA would remove its forces from the streets. A senior opposition figure, Kamal al-Labwani, said "I think stiff resistance and defections among the attacking forces have forced the regime to negotiate. We will see if it will stick to the deal". He claimed that 30 loyalist soldiers and an unknown number of defected soldiers had been killed during the battle on 13 January. [13]

The ceasefire was temporarily broken on 30 January, when an FSA fighter was killed by Ba'athist government troops. However, by the end of the day, the situation at Zabadani still remained tense but calm. [14]

A top Iranian Revolutionary Guard official said that Hezbollah forces took part in the fighting in Zabadani in January. [6]

Second phase

On 4 February, it was reported by activists that the Syrian army was shelling the area with mortars and firing on FSA troops with heavy machine guns, and had started to storm Zabadani's outskirts. [15] [16] The Local Coordination Committees of Syria said that 300 armored vehicles, including 100 tanks were involved in the offensive. This report could not be verified independently. [8] The SOHR, another activist source based in London, said to the AFP that hundreds of armored vehicles assaulted the city of Zabadani on 6 February. [17] According to activist videos Zabadani was still under shelling on 7 February. [18]

On 8 February, activists said that at least 10 residents had died from the shelling in recent days, and state media reported that four members of the special forces were killed outside of Zabadani. They claimed that a number of opposition forces were killed in the clash. [19] It was also reported that during the fighting, a foreign jihadist, Abu Hamza al-Shami, was also killed. [20] Two days later, several activists sources reported that the Syrian army took control of Madaya, a city located just a few kilometers south of Zabadani which was, according to the same activists, surrounded and under a renewed shelling from the army. [4]

Military deployments in the vicinity of Az Zabadani between February 11 and February 13, 2012 Syrian Military Units 11-13 February 2012, Az Zabadani, Syria.jpg
Military deployments in the vicinity of Az Zabadani between February 11 and February 13, 2012

The Local Coordination Committees said that the army was heavily pounding the city for a 6th day in a row with 150 shells hitting the city, killing seven people and injuring 40. They added that the Syrian army was located as close as 300 meters south of the city entrance. The Committee estimated that 300 armored vehicles and 30,000 soldiers were involved in the battle, but it could not be confirmed and was highly unlikely. [21]

On 11 February, the Syrian army entered Zabadani after a renewed shelling and seized parts of the town. [22] An exiled Syrian activist in Jordan said that a ceasefire had been agreed in Zabadani and that the army entered the city. It stipulates that the army would not pursue the rebels if they hand over their stolen weapons. [23] He added that 100 people were killed in the bombardment of the city. [24]

On 13 February, activists reported that the Syrian army was conducting attacks and arrests in Zabadani and Madaya. [25] [26] A contact of Irish Times journalist told that the army had arrested some rebel fighters and allowed others to flee, with ongoing house to house conducted. Many residents fled to Bludan were the red cross sent an aid convoy. [27] Footage of Zabadani was published on 13 February, on the Syrian State TV, showing interviews with residents and some of the weapons seized. [28] A pro-rebel resident said that the Syrian army broke a deal by sending soldiers to take over the city and said that dozens of people suspected of being rebels had been captured. [29]

Journalist John Ray and his cameraman made a video report about the battle, showing footage of the fighting and the advance of the Syrian army. The Army advanced from the city toward the hillsides where rebels were hiding, progressing and trapping the rebels against the Lebanon border. [30] The opposition-affiliated L.C.C. claimed that the Syrian army had arrested 250 members of the opposition. [31] A Lebanese smuggler told that the Syrian army had successfully cut the rebels supply lines in the city. [5]

Aftermath

Renewed fighting

A month later on 12 March, clashes were reported once again in Zabadani, with many being wounded. [32] On 27 March, the military shelled the town again, which killed four residents. [33] Two days later on 29 March, more fighting was reported in the town. [34]

May stalemate

In May, much of Zabadani was once again reportedly out of SAA control, with army checkpoints on the roads leading into and out of the city and security forces guarding government buildings in the town, but not venturing outside to such places as the central square. Around 450 FSA fighters were in the orchards outside of Zabadani, but they didn't have a presence in the town itself. Instead, opposition activists were reporting from within the city via walkie-talkies and organizing protests. [35] [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Syrian Army</span> Opposition faction in the Syrian Civil War

The Free Syrian Army is a big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defected from the Syrian Armed Forces. The officers announced that the immediate priority of the Free Syrian Army was to safeguard the lives of protestors and civilians from the deadly crackdown by Bashar al-Assad's security apparatus; with the ultimate goal of accomplishing the objectives of the Syrian revolution, namely, the end to the decades-long reign of the ruling al-Assad family. In late 2011, the FSA was the main Syrian military defectors group. Initially a formal military organization at its founding, its original command structure dissipated by 2016, and the FSA identity has since been used by various Syrian opposition groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Homs</span> Siege in Syria

The siege of Homs was a military confrontation between the Syrian military and the Syrian opposition in the city of Homs, a major rebel stronghold during the Syrian Civil War. The siege lasted three years from May 2011 to May 2014, and ultimately resulted in an opposition withdrawal from the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daraa Governorate clashes (2011–2013)</span> Series of military confrontations in Syria

The 2011–2013 Daraa Governorate clashes are a series of military confrontations between the Syrian Army and the Free Syrian Army in Daraa Governorate, Syria, which began in November 2011, after widescale protests and crackdown on protesters in Daraa had lasted since April 2011. The clashes had been ongoing as part of the Syrian civil war, until the U.N. brokered cease fire came into effect on 14 April 2012. Sporadic clashes continued since then, however.

The Rif Dimashq clashes were a series of unrests and armed clashes in and around Damascus, the capital of Syria, from November 2011 until a stalemate in March 2012. The violence was part of the wider early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war. Large pro-government and anti-government protests took place in the suburbs and center of Damascus, with the situation escalating when members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) started attacking military targets in November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011 – March 2012)</span> Syrian conflict battles

The September 2011 – March 2012 Idlib Governorate clashes were the violent incidents that took place in Idlib Governorate, a province of Syria, from September 2011 and prior to the April 2012 Idlib Governorate Operation.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to April 2012, during which time the spate of protests that began in January 2011 lasted into another calendar year. An Arab League monitoring mission ended in failure as Syrian troops and anti-government militants continued to do battle across the country and the Syrian government prevented foreign observers from touring active battlefields, including besieged opposition strongholds. A United Nations-backed ceasefire brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan met a similar fate, with unarmed UN peacekeepers' movements tightly controlled by the government and fighting.

The Battle of Douma was a military engagement during the Syrian civil war. The battle began on 21 January 2012, after Free Syrian Army fighters changed their tactics from attack and retreat guerrilla warfare in the suburbs of Damascus to all-out assault on army units. Earlier in January, the FSA had taken the town of Zabadani, and consequently gained control over large portions of Douma. After a general offensive in the suburbs, Douma was retaken by the Syrian army at the same time as the other rebelling suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Rastan (January–February 2012)</span>

A second battle between the Syrian Army and the Free Syrian Army for control of the city of Rastan took place from 29 January to 5 February 2012. Located in Homs Governorate, Rastan is a city of 60,000 residents. The FSA captured Rastan after days of intense fighting, according to residents and the opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Homs offensive</span> Military campaign in Homs, Syria

The 2012 Homs offensive was a Syrian Army offensive on the armed rebellion stronghold of Homs, within the scope of the Siege of Homs, beginning in early February 2012 and ending with the U.N. brokered cease fire on 14 April 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Battle of al-Qusayr</span> Battle of the Syrian civil war

The first of the two battles in al-Qusayr was fought by the Syrian army and Shabiha against the Free Syrian Army in the small city of Al-Qusayr, near Homs, during late winter and spring of 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Idlib (2012)</span> Battle

The Battle of Idlib was fought in the city of Idlib, located in the north of Syria, starting on 10 March 2012. The battle took place in a province considered a stronghold of the armed opposition to the Syrian government and was fought in the wider context of the Syrian Army trying to retake several rebel strongholds. After three days of fighting, the Syrian Army recaptured the city.

The Hama Governorate clashes were a series of incidents of fighting during late 2011 and early 2012 in the Syrian Governorate of Hama, as part of the Early insurgency phase of the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Rastan (May 2012)</span>

The Battle of Rastan between the Syrian Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army took place in the city of Rastan on 14 May 2012, during the U.N. brokered cease-fire of the Syrian uprising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Damascus (2012)</span> During the Syrian civil war

The Battle of Damascus, also known as Operation Damascus Volcano, started on 15 July 2012 during the Syrian civil war. It is unclear who started the battle. Thousands of rebels infiltrated Damascus from the surrounding countryside. Following this, according to some reports, the opposition forces launched an operation to capture the capital, while according to other reports, the military learned of the large-scale rebel operation beforehand and made a preemptive strike. Some reports even suggested the rebels launched the operation prematurely due to their plans being discovered by the security forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Wadi Deif (2012–2013)</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, starting on 11 October 2012, during the Idlib Governorate clashes of the Syrian civil war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Qusayr offensive</span> Military operation

The al-Qusayr offensive was an operation by the Syrian Government forces against Opposition forces at al-Qusayr in Homs province, during the Syrian Civil War. The operation was launched on 4 April 2013. The Syrian Army, the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces played key roles in the attack. Its aim was to capture all villages around the rebel-held town of al-Qusayr, thus tightening the siege of the city and ultimately launching an attack on al-Qusayr itself. The region was an important supply route for rebels fighting Syrian government forces in Homs.

The second of two battles in al-Qusayr started on 19 May 2013, as part of the larger al-Qusayr offensive, launched in early April 2013 by the Syrian Army and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, during the Syrian civil war, with the aim of capturing the villages around the rebel-held town of al-Qusayr and ultimately launching an attack on the town itself. The region was strategically important as a supply route for rebels fighting Syrian government forces in Homs and also for the Syrian government, as it lies between the capital, Damascus, and the Syrian coast, a stronghold for Assad supporters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Zabadani (2015)</span> Military offensive

The Battle of Zabadani (2015) started in early July 2015, during the Syrian Civil War, as a military offensive launched by the Syrian Army, and Hezbollah to capture the rebel-held town of Al-Zabadani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war</span> Part of the Syrian Civil War

The early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war lasted from late July 2011 to April 2012, and was associated with the rise of armed oppositional militias across Syria and the beginning of armed rebellion against the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic. Though armed insurrection incidents began as early as June 2011 when rebels killed 120–140 Syrian security personnel, the beginning of organized insurgency is typically marked by the formation of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on 29 July 2011, when a group of defected officers declared the establishment of the first organized oppositional military force. Composed of defected Syrian Armed Forces personnel, the rebel army aimed to remove Bashar al-Assad and his government from power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012–2013 escalation of the Syrian civil war</span> Part of the Syrian Civil War

The 2012–2013 escalation of the Syrian Civil War refers to the third phase of the Syrian Civil War, which gradually escalated from a UN-mediated cease fire attempt during April–May 2012 and deteriorated into radical violence, escalating the conflict level to a full-fledged civil war.

References

  1. ↑ The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/activists-syrian-tanks-pull-back-from-besieged-town/2012/01/19/gIQAjKa79P_story.html . Retrieved 2017-08-24.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ "Rebels hail 'first free town in Syria' as Assad troops flee" . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Syria’s Zabadani is ‘liberated,’ but for how long? – The Washington Post
  4. 1 2 Friday (2012-02-10). "EA WorldView – Home – Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Protests Amidst the Regime's Assault?". Enduringamerica.com. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  5. 1 2 Enders, David (2012-02-22). "Syrian forces retake Zabadani as rebels withdraw, refugees say – World Wires". MiamiHerald.com. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  6. 1 2 "Syrian regime 'importing snipers' for protests" . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Syria Live Blog Sun, 22 Jan 2012, 13:34 GMT+3". Al Jazeera Blogs. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 "21 Martyrs Till Now 6-2-2012 | Local coordination committees of Syria". Lccsyria.org. 2012-02-06. Archived from the original on 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  9. ↑ Khaled Yacoub Oweis (18 January 2012). "Fighting in Syria subsides after fragile ceasefire". The M&G Online. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "EU Imposes New Sanctions and Assad's Forces Retreat from Zabadani" . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Syria tanks and troops 'enter protest town, Zabadani'". BBC News. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Zabadani, Former Syria Resort, Now Rebel Stronghold". The Huffington Post. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "Army, rebels agree to ceasefire in Zabadani; U.N. council struggles on Syria resolution". Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "Syrian Uprising Intensifies As Troops Defend Capital". WSJ. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "Syrian troops launch attack on Zabadani, near Damascus – Monsters and Critics". News.monstersandcritics.com. 2012-02-04. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  16. ↑ "U.S. floats coalition against Syria". CBS News. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  17. ↑ "Syria's cry for help as Bashar al Assad's forces 'launch major offensive in Homs'". Telegraph. 2012-02-06. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  18. ↑ "هام لوكالات الأنباء المدفعية تقصف الزبداني". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  19. ↑ "Death toll mounts as attacks in Syria's Homs resume after Russian peace foray". Archived from the original on 2012-04-19. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "Jihadist forums say fighters going to Syria" . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  21. ↑ Weaver, Matthew (2012-02-10). "Syria: bombs hit Aleppo as tanks pound Homs – Friday 10 February | World news | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  22. ↑ [ dead link ]
  23. ↑ [ dead link ]
  24. ↑ "Syria Rockets Homs As Arab League Meets In Cairo". The Huffington Post. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  25. ↑ "Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "The Reasonable Reaction to Provocation"" . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "Syria draws U.N. ire as it heads toward 'war'". CNN. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  27. ↑ "Syrian army enters remaining insurgent strongholds". The Irish Times . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  28. ↑ "Al-Zabadani people express relief after security is restored to the city". Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  29. ↑ "Rebellious Syrian towns surrounded and struggling". Reuters. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  30. ↑ "Under siege in Syria". Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  31. ↑ "From Zabadany16-2-2012". Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "Syria Live Blog Sun, 11 Mar 2012, 16:11 GMT+3". Al Jazeera Blogs. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  33. ↑ "Syria shells Homs as rebels attack army in Damascus". Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Syria crisis dominates Arab summit in Iraq" . Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  35. ↑ "Syria's uprising: Try to stay peaceful". The Economist. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  36. ↑ "The Syrian local newspapers creating a voice for the revolution". the Guardian. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2014.

33°43′30″N36°05′50″E / 33.7250°N 36.0972°E / 33.7250; 36.0972

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.