Battle of the Shaer gas field (2016)

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Battle of the Shaer gas field (2016)
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Syria physical map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shaer gas field
Date2–30 May 2016
(4 weeks)
Location
Result

Partial ISIL victory[ citation needed ]

  • ISIL captures the Shaer gas field and the Huwaysis area.
  • ISIL blow up Shaer Gas Field afterwards.
  • Syrian Army recaptures the Huwaysis area
Belligerents
ShababFlag.svg Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Flag of Syria.svg Syrian Arab Republic
Supported by:
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
Commanders and leaders
ShababFlag.svg Abu Baraa Al Jazrawi Flag of Syria.svg Unknown
Units involved
Unknown Flag of Syria.svg Unknown Syrian military unit
Flag of Russia.svg Russian Naval Infantry [1]
Casualties and losses
16 killed (1st day) 34 killed (1st day)

The Battle of the Shaer gas field took place between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Syrian government for the control over the Sha'er gas field during the Syrian Civil War. It is the third attack that was launched by ISIL on the gas field.

Contents

Offensive

On 5 May 2016, ISIL once again captured the Shaer gas field that had been held by the Syrian government since the Second Battle of the Shaer gas field. [2] 34 soldiers and 16 ISIL fighters were killed during the battle for the field. [3]

Four days later, ISIL attacked the nearby al-Mahr oil field, capturing al-Mahr hill, before the military recaptured the hill and repelled the attack on the field the following day. [4] The same day, 10 May, ISIL captured an abandoned military base near the T4 airbase, cutting the main supply route to Palmyra. Government troops recaptured the base and reopened the supply road. [5] [6] [7]

Mid-May, there were reports of explosions and a 4.4 Richter magnitude scale earthquake that was believed to be caused by the entire field blowing up. [8] [9]

On 30 May, government forces recaptured the Huwaysis area. [10] [11]

Aftermath

In late June, ISIL was once again in control of the Huwaysis area. [12]

In early July, some media activists showed the first photos and videos of the preparation of blasting and explosion.

In September, pro-government forces regained control of the Huwaysis area. [13] but lost it again in a December offensive before recapturing it yet again in early 2017.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Battle of the Shaer gas field occurred in mid-July 2014 during the Syrian Civil War when jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) attacked and captured the field from government forces, which was followed by an Army counter-attack. It was one of the deadliest battles up-to-date in the war between fighters of the militant group and government troops.

The Battle of the Shaer gas field took place between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Syrian government for the control over the Sha'er gas field during the Syrian Civil War. It is the second attack that was launched by ISIL on the gas field.

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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.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to July 2014. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homs offensive (November–December 2015)</span> Part of the Syrian Civil War

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmyra offensive (March 2016)</span> Military operation started by the Syrian Arab Army

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Homs offensive (2017)</span> Offensive

The Eastern Homs offensive in 2017 was a military operation of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies in Eastern part of Homs Governorate against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces during the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian Desert campaign (May–July 2017)</span> Military operation of the Syrian Army

The Syrian Desert campaign was a large-scale military operation of the Syrian Army that initially started along the highway from Damascus to the border with Iraq against rebel forces during the Syrian civil war. Its first intended goal was to capture both the highway and the al-Tanf border crossing, thus securing the Damascus countryside from a potential rebel attack. Later, multiple other fronts were opened as part of the operation throughout the desert, as well as operation "Grand Dawn" against ISIL with the aim of reopening the Damascus-Palmyra highway and preparing for an offensive towards Deir ez-Zor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Syria campaign</span> Military operation of the Syrian Army

The Central Syria campaign, known as "Operation Khuzam", or "Lavender", was a large-scale military operation of the Syrian Army (SAA) against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during the Syrian Civil War. Its goal was to capture the strategic oil town of Al-Sukhnah, and besiege and capture 11,000 square kilometers of ISIL territory in central Syria, after which the Syrian Army would advance towards Deir ez-Zor, and lift the three-year ISIL siege of the government's enclave in the city. Afterwards, the Syrian Army advanced towards the Islamic State's then-capital of Mayadin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Syria campaign</span> Military operation

The Eastern Syria campaign of September–December 2017 was a large-scale military operation of the Syrian Army (SAA) and its allies against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during the Syrian Civil War. Its goal was to clear the city of Deir ez-Zor of any remaining ISIL forces, capture ISIL's de facto capital of Mayadin, as well as seize the border town of Abu Kamal, which became one of ISIL's final urban strongholds by the latter stages of the campaign.

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References

  1. Russian marines begin military operations in Syria (2016-05-16). "Russian marines begin military operations in Syria". Mirrorspectrum. Archived from the original on 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  2. "Islamic State militants seize gas field in eastern Syria". 5 May 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016 via Reuters.
  3. (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Fighting calms in Syria's Aleppo amid truce, but hostilities persist elsewhere - News - DW.COM - 05.05.2016". Deutsche Welle . Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  4. Tomson, Chris (9 May 2016). "ISIS attacks al-Mahr oil field as Syrian Army regroups for counteroffensive". Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  5. "IS cuts government supply route to Syria's ancient Palmyra" . Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  6. Adra, Zen (13 May 2016). "Field Report: SAA recaptures strategic point near Tiyas Airbase". Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  7. "The regime forces reopen the supply road between Homs and Palmyra and explosion in the city of Homs" . Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  8. Spencer, Richard. "Isil 'sets off earthquake by blowing up major gas field' in Syria". Telegraph. Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  9. Aterbury, John. "Investigating the "ISIS earthquake"". Bellingcat. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  10. "Palmyra_May_31" . Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  11. Editor6. "قوات النظام تتقدم في بادية حمص الشرقية وتستعيد السيطرة على معظم منطقة حويسيس" . Retrieved 6 June 2016.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. "At least 50 Syrian soldiers killed in ISIS-led attacks in Homs". Archived from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  13. "Syrian Army reverses ISIS gains in northeast Homs". Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-06.

34°33′15″N38°17′00″E / 34.5542°N 38.2833°E / 34.5542; 38.2833