Quneitra offensive (September 2016)

Last updated
Quneitra offensive (September 2016)
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Quneitra offensive (2016).svg
The military situation in Quineitra Governorate in 2016 - scene of fighting marked with black box.
  Syrian Ba'athist Army control
  Syrian Opposition control
  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
  Ongoing confrontation or unclear situation
Date10–17 September 2016
(1 week)
Location
Quneitra Governorate, Syrian territories (de jure Syrian Arab Republic)
Status

Indecisive

  • Rebels captured two hills and several checkpoints [1]
  • The Army recaptures all lost territory, [2] except Tal Al-Hamirat hill [3]
Belligerents
Flag of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.svg Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Flag of Jihad.svg Alwiya al-Furqan
AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg Bayt al-Maqdis [4]
Flag of Ahrar ash-Sham.svg Ahrar al-Sham [5]
Flag of Jihad.svg Sadqa Wa'dah Movement [6]
Syrian revolution flag.svg Free Syrian Army [7]

Flag of Syria.svg Syrian Arab Republic

InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah [8]
Civil flag of Jabal ad-Druze (1921-1936).svg Jaysh al-Muwahhideen [9]
Flag of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.svg SSNP [9]
Civil flag of Jabal ad-Druze (1921-1936).svg Rijal al-Karama [10]
Flag of Syria.svg Kata’ib Humat al-Diyar [11]
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.svg Abu Suhaib Al Tunisi  [12]
(Jabhat Fatah commander)
Flag of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.svg Mohammad Yusuf al-Sabihi  [12]
(Jabhat Fatah commander)
Flag of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.svg Amjad Abdul Hakim al-Balkhi  [12]
(Jabhat Fatah commander)
Flag of Ahrar ash-Sham.svg Abu al-Mossana al-Shami  [12]
(Ahrar al-Sham senior commander)
Flag of Jihad.svg Baslan Fou'az Al-Masri  [6]
(Sadqa Wa'dah Movement chief commander)
Flag of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.svg Brig. Gen. Osama Zahreddine [13]
(Operations chief commander)
Flag of Druze.svg Majid Himoud [8]
(Golan Regiment’s Fist Battalion commander)
Units involved
Unknown

Flag of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces.svg Syrian Armed Forces

Casualties and losses
28 killed (per the SOHR) [17] [18]
54 killed (per The Inside Source) [19]
70+ killed (per the Army) [16]
9 killed (per the SOHR) [20]
Dozens killed (per The Inside Source) [19]

The Quneitra offensive (September 2016) was launched by Syrian rebel forces, during the Syrian Civil War, in order to capture the government-held town of Hader, Quneitra Governorate.

Contents

The offensive

On 10 September, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly the al-Nusra Front), along with Ansar Bait al-Maqdis and Ahrar al-Sham, launched an offensive at the town of Khan Arnabah on the border with the Golan Heights. [21] Hours later, the rebels took one checkpoint [22] and a hill, but according to pro-government sources, failed to capture another hill and were repelled by pro-government forces. [5]

Meanwhile, the fighting caused stray shells to land at the northern Golan Heights and in response, Israel bombed a Syrian Army artillery position in Quneitra. [23]

The next day, the rebels made advances at the village of Homirat, [24] seizing a large part of its eastern flank, [25] mainly Tal Al-Hamirat hill. At the same time, the main rebel attack towards Hader, at the Tal Taranjeh hilltop, was repelled [1] [26] after a three-hour battle. Rebel forces also reportedly suffered heavy losses after entering a minefield near Tal Gren hill. This included the destruction of two BMP infantry fighting vehicles. [27]

On 12 September, the Army reportedly recaptured all positions they had previously lost, including Tal Al-Hamirat. [2] Later in the day, despite the official start of a country-wide cease-fire, the rebels launched a new, much larger, assault. [28] The rebels once again assaulted Tal Taranjeh hill, but were again beaten back after 10 hours of fighting. [29]

The next day, the Syrian Air Defense Force launched two surface to air missiles at two Israeli Air Force aircraft flying over Quneitra. The Syrian state media Syrian Arab News Agency claimed to have shot down the plane and drone, but the IAF denied this. [30]

On 14 September, a new rebel attack on Tal Taranjeh was beaten back by the Syrian Army. [6] Despite the official ceasefire, both sides continued to shell each other during 17 September, [31] with one stray mortar shell hitting Israeli occupied territory. This led the Israeli Air Force to retaliate by striking the Golan Regiment's positions near Hader. [32] Hours later, the rebels launched a new attack on the government-held Battalion 4 Hill, which was repelled. [7] On 20 September, it was revealed that Al-Humriyah hill was recaptured by the rebels and was being bombarded by the army positions in Tuloul al-Hamar. [33] [3]

Aftermath

A new rebel assault on Hader in November was also repelled, with 19–80 rebels and at least 10 soldiers killed. [34] [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war from August to December 2014. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Quneitra offensive</span> Military operation

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Hama offensive</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Hama offensive</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golan Regiment</span>

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