Quneitra offensive (September 2016) | |||||||
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Part of the Syrian Civil War | |||||||
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 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Alwiya al-Furqan Bayt al-Maqdis [4] Ahrar al-Sham [5] Sadqa Wa'dah Movement [6] Free Syrian Army [7] | Hezbollah [8] Jaysh al-Muwahhideen [9] SSNP [9] Rijal al-Karama [10] Kata’ib Humat al-Diyar [11] | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Abu Suhaib Al Tunisi † [12] (Jabhat Fatah commander) Mohammad Yusuf al-Sabihi † [12] (Jabhat Fatah commander) Amjad Abdul Hakim al-Balkhi † [12] (Jabhat Fatah commander) Abu al-Mossana al-Shami † [12] (Ahrar al-Sham senior commander) Baslan Fou'az Al-Masri † [6] (Sadqa Wa'dah Movement chief commander) | Brig. Gen. Osama Zahreddine [13] (Operations chief commander) Majid Himoud [8] (Golan Regiment’s Fist Battalion commander) | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Unknown |
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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.
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]
A new rebel assault on Hader in November was also repelled, with 19–80 rebels and at least 10 soldiers killed. [34] [35]
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.
The 2014 Quneitra offensive, code-named “The Real Promise” or "Chargers of Dawn", was a military operation launched by Syrian rebels during the Syrian civil war in Quneitra Governorate, in an attempt to take control of several sections in the central part of the province and around Quneitra city "with the aim of opening the way to Damascus."
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.
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.
The 2015 Hama offensive was a military operation launched by Syrian rebels during the Syrian Civil War in the northern parts of Hama Governorate.
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The 2016 Latakia offensive, code-named Battle of Yarmouk, refers to a rebel operation launched in the northern Latakia Governorate in late June 2016. The aim of the offensive was to recapture the territory lost during the Army's offensive earlier in the year.
The Rif Dimashq offensive is a Syrian Army offensive in the Rif Dimashq Governorate that was launched in late June 2016, as part of the Syrian Civil War. The offensive resulted in the military's capture of parts of the eastern section of the rebel-held eastern Ghouta.
The 2016 Hama offensive, codenamed as the Battle for the sake of God by the rebels, was a military offensive operation launched by Syrian rebels during the Syrian Civil War in the northern parts of Hama Governorate as an attempt to relieve pressure on rebels fighting in Aleppo city.
The Aleppo offensive of September–October 2016 was the military operation launched in Aleppo in late September 2016 by the Syrian Army and its allies aiming to capture all of the remaining rebel-held parts of the city of Aleppo. Rebel forces controlling East Aleppo at that time were primarily fighters of Fatah Halab, although a significant number of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham fighters were also present.
The Aleppo offensive was a Syrian Army counter-offensive launched on the southern outskirts of Aleppo in mid-September 2016. The aim of the offensive was to recapture territory lost due to a rebel offensive earlier in August and besiege the rebel-held part of Aleppo once again.
The Khan al-Shih offensive was a Syrian Army offensive in the Rif Dimashq Governorate that was launched in early October 2016, as part of the Syrian Civil War. Its aim was to take control of the rebel-held part of western Ghouta. The main rebel stronghold in the region was the town of Khan al-Shih.
The Golan Regiment is a Syrian militia based in Khan Arnabah that is part of the National Defence Forces (NDF). Though primarily active in the Golan Heights, the unit has been deployed in various warzones of western Syria, fighting against many different Syrian opposition forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Golan Regiment is notable insofar as it was the first government unit during the Syrian Civil War that was founded by Free Syrian Army (FSA) defectors.
The Daraa offensive , code named as the battle of "Death Rather than Humiliation" by the rebels, was a military operation launched by Syrian rebels against positions of the Syrian Arab Army in the Manshiyah District of Daraa city, in southern Syria, during the Syrian Civil War.
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The Quneitra offensive , code-named "Road to Damascus", was a military operation launched by rebel forces against the Syrian Arab Army at the town of Madinat al-Baath, in the Quneitra Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War.
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