Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat

Last updated

Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat
Part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign (Syrian civil war)
Bombing of Darayya.png
Bombing of Darayya, 17 June 2016
Date9 November 2012 [1] – 19 October 2016 (3 years, 11 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location
Darayya and Muadamiyat al-Sham, Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria
Status

Syrian government victory

  • Pro-government forces capture Darayya in August 2016; rebels surrender and leave the city after a ceasefire agreement [2] [3] [4]
  • Rebels surrender and evacuate Muadamiyat al-Sham in October after 4 years of ceasefire [5]
Belligerents

Flag of Syria.svg Syrian Arab Republic

Allied militias:
InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah [6]
Flag of the Arab National Guard.svg Arab Nationalist Guard [7]
Emblem of the Palestine Liberation Army.svg Palestine Liberation Army [8] 		Syrian revolution flag.svg Free Syrian Army   White flag icon.svg
Al-Liwaa.svg Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union   White flag icon.svg [9]
Flag of the Al-Nusra Front.svg Al-Nusra Front [9]
Supported by:
Flag of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.svg CIA (Military Operations Centre) [10] [11]
Commanders and leaders
Syrian Armed Forces Flag.svg Gen. Ayman Saleh [12]
(4th Brigade)
Single Color Flag - FFFF00.svg Secretary General Hayder al-Juburi [13]
(Liwa Dhu al-Fiqar chief commander)
Syrian Armed Forces Flag.svg Unknown Syrian Army assault leader  † [7] 		Syrian revolution flag.svg Capt. Saeed Narqash ("Abu Jamal")  White flag icon.svg [11]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade chief commander)
Syrian revolution flag.svg Abdul Rahim  White flag icon.svg [14]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade commander)
Syrian revolution flag.svg Osama Abu Zeid  † [14]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade field commander)
Syrian revolution flag.svg Ahmad Abou Al-Majd  † [15]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade field commander)
Syrian revolution flag.svg Abu Aref Alayyan  † [16]
("key rebel leader")
Syrian revolution flag.svg Khaled Khodr ("The Mayor")  White flag icon.svg [10]
(Conquest Brigade leader)
Flag of Taliban.svg Faysal al-Shami  † [9]
(Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union commander)
Flag of Taliban.svg Abu al-‘Izz Saqr  † [17]
(Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union commander)
Units involved

Syrian Armed Forces Flag.svg Syrian Armed Forces

Syrian militias

Syrian revolution flag.svg Free Syrian Army

Strength
3,000 [19] <1,000 (in Darayya by mid-2016) [25]
Casualties and losses
4th Brigade: [12]
286 killed
276 wounded		 120 killed (August 2015 – July 2016) [25]
161,700 residents displaced [14]

The siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat was launched by the Syrian Armed Forces in late 2012 after rebels took over most of the Damascus suburbs of Darayya and Muadamiyat al-Sham in November 2012. Since then, the power grid in the area was cut off as the government attempted to storm the towns multiple times. During the siege the towns were continuously hit by airstrikes from the Syrian Air Force. [1]

Contents

On 24 August 2016 it was confirmed that the rebels and the Syrian Government made a deal in which the rebels would leave the city. They would be able to leave and would be sent up to Idlib with their families. The rest of the civilians would be relocated. [26] The town of Muadamiyat al-Sham was also surrendered on 19 October under a similar agreement. [5]

The siege

2015

Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union fighter on break Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union fighter.png
Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union fighter on break

The rebels in Darayya launched an offensive in early August 2015, after months of preparations, in an attempt to push back government forces from the town and possibly reach the nearby Mezzeh military airport which had been used to bomb Darayya. After three days of fighting, the rebels reportedly managed to seize several strategic buildings overlooking the airport. During the clashes, 23 rebel fighters died, while the rebels claimed to had killed 70 government soldiers. [27]

2016

Capt. Saeed Narqash (alias "Abu Jamal"), commander of the Martyrs of Islam Brigade, in 2016 Captain Saeed Narqash.png
Capt. Saeed Narqash (alias "Abu Jamal"), commander of the Martyrs of Islam Brigade, in 2016

In late January 2016, the National Defence Force and the Syrian Republican Guard captured the road linking the two towns from the Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union, cutting the two rebel-held suburbs in two. Government forces also seized several buildings from the rebels. [28]

In late February, the Syrian Army launched an assault on Darayya and took over 20 buildings from Ajnad al-Sham, killing a rebel commander. The town was excluded from a 2-week country-wide ceasefire due to the presence of the al-Nusra Front, which is claimed by the government to control 1/5 of rebel-held Darayya. [9]

In May, ICRC trucks carrying infant formula, vaccines, and school supplies attempted to enter Darayya, but was turned back and denied entry by the 4th Armoured Division. [29] [30]

On 1 June 5 trucks containing infant formula, vaccines, mosquito nets, shampoos, and wheelchairs was allowed entry in the town, with another convoy entering Muadamiyat. [31] On the same day government forces shelled fields in the town, burning crops. [14]

On 6 June the Criterion Brigades launched an offensive called "At Your Service Darayya" in order to draw government forces from Darayya to reinforce the front in Quneitra. The Brigades allegedly seized 2 villages, which was denied by the National Defence Forces. [32]

Later that month on 9–10 June the first convoy of food aid since 2012 was delivered to Darayya by the World Food Programme and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The convoy included bags of flour to last for 4,000 people a month and other food to feed 2,400 a month. Around 8,000 people still live in the town. However, the town was hit by multiple barrel bombs on the same day. [33] On the 16th, the government forces dropped 12 barrel bombs and advanced 42 blocks in the west and south of the town. [14] 500 houses were razed by the government in order to build defensive structures. [34]

On 20 June, rebel forces launched a suicide attack at a government checkpoint on the road between the towns, capturing 12 soldiers. 7 rebels were killed and soon after more than 30 barrel bombs were dropped on Darayya. The attack reportedly reopened a rebel supply line between Darayya and Muadamiyat. [35] After losing nine checkpoints to the rebels, the Army launched a counter-offensive and retook the lost territory. As a result, Ajnad al-Sham units suffered heavy casualties, including two killed commanders. [36]

On 24 June, the Syrian Army, backed by Hezbollah, captured over 25 farms in the Darayya, threatening to cut the rebel pocket in half, [6] and depriving the city of its most important food source. [25] The next day, the government formally offered the rebel groups in Darayya a surrender deal, according to which the rebels would be granted safe passage to other rebel-held areas of Damascus if they gave up their weapons. The FSA and Ajnad al-Sham commanders were given a one-week deadline to respond. [37]

After rebel commanders refused to surrender, government forces resumed their attacks on Darayya on 30 June. [38] On 10 July, the Syrian Army broke through the rebel lines, as it captured much of the Alaya District from Ajnad al-Sham. By this point, the government had retaken half of Darayya from the rebels, [18] [39] namely the eastern part. The rebels had suffered heavy casualties, with 120 fighters being killed since August 2015, and fewer than 1,000 remaining in the town. [25] On 13 July, the Syrian Army captured all remaining rebel-held farms of Darayya. [40]

On 15 July, the military advanced to a residential area on the southern side of Darayya, [41] coming close to the Darayya Railway, a rebel stronghold. [42] By this point, the rebels were under threat of the possibility that government forces could split the town in half. [43] Two days later, government forces made more advances in a residential area of Darayya, [44] and in the following night launched a major attack on the city center. Rebel fighters were reported to be on the verge of retreating from the Darayya Association Quarter. [45]

On 20 July, government forces stormed the Association Quarter, seizing several buildings amid fierce fighting. [46] Four days later, rebels reportedly repelled a government attack on southern Darayya, [47] killing the Syrian Army assault leader in the process. [7]

On 28 July, the government launched a new offensive in western Darayya, resulting in fierce fighting. [48] Breaking through rebel lines, the 4th Armoured Division captured a 300 metre long and 450 metre wide strip of territory in western Darayya and killed a "key rebel leader", Abu Aref Alayyan. [16] [49] On the night of 1–2 August, government troops captured several buildings around the Bilal Al-Habashi Mosque after heavy clashes with Ajnad al-Sham, with the seized territory being approximately 300 meters long and 250 meters wide. [50] On 5 August, the Army took control of an area, 1 square kilometer in size, near the Bilal Al-Habashi Mosque. [51] Government advances continued on 7 August, as the Syrian Army captured three more building blocks. In course of the fighting, the rebel commander Ahmad Abou Al-Majd was killed. [15]

On 14 August, the government continued its offensive, making major progress by capturing more sites in the Association Quarter and a large part of Darayya's southwestern sector. [52] The next day, Ajnad al-Sham fighters used a secret tunnel to launch a surprise attack on the government forces, overwhelming them and capturing the Al-Wahbi and Al-Qatteh points. Even though the Republican Guard recaptured the two sites later on, the ambush was still a tactical success for the rebels, who had suffered few casualties for several killed government soldiers. [53] On 17 August, government forces captured several building blocks near the Noureddeen Mosque and managed to enter the Railway area of Darayya that had been under rebel control since 2012. [54]

In the early hours of 19 August, reports emerged that the last rebel "field hospital" was destroyed in airstrikes using barrel bombs containing napalm type materials. Later in the day rebel defenses partially collapsed in southern Darayya, as government forces captured the Railway Crossing, 24 building blocks and advanced into the Christian District. [55] [56] [57] On 21 August, the 4th Armoured Division captured the Nour Al-Deen Mosque [58] and two days later advanced once again on a 200-meter front, coming to within 500 meters of splitting the rebel-held part of Darayaa in two. [59]

On 25 August after a ceasefire agreement, the rebels inside Darayya announced their plan to surrender their weapons and to evacuate themselves and their family members from the town to rebel-held areas in the Idlib Governorate in stages, while other civilians were to be re-located to government-held areas near Damascus. [3] [60] [61] Over 700 fighters and 300 of their family members [62] were part of the move which was viewed as a strategic win for government forces. [63] The Middle East Eye , however, noted that the status of the surviving Martyrs of Islam Brigade fighters from Darayya "is now cemented as legendary amongst Syria’s opposition for their military heroics. [The group's leader Abo Jamal] is modern Syria’s Leonidas I, and his men the equivalent of the 7,000 Greeks who famously held off the 100,000 strong Persian army for seven days." It was argued that the relocated Martyrs of Islam Brigade, though not of great numbers, had gained much experience in urban warfare during the siege, and thus could also play a decisive role for the Syrian opposition in course of the 2016 Aleppo campaign. [11]

Surrender of Muadamiyat al-Sham

Soon after the rebel surrender in Darayya, reports that rebels and civilians in Muadamiyat al-Sham were also interested in a similar deal. [64] At the negotiations on 30 August, the 4th Armoured Division delegate requested the rebels in the town to surrender their weapons, to allow the government to enter, and to evacuate the remaining civilians. The army threatened "total war" if the terms were not met. [65]

On 1 September, residents of Muadamiyat agreed to a deal under which the town would be surrendered and those rebels who did not wish to give up their arms will be granted safe passage to rebel-held areas of Idlib Governorate. [66] [67] The next day, 303 people who were from Darayya, including 62 rebels, left the town as part of the agreement. [68] [69] On 8 September, the Syrian government threatened to intensify bombing and shelling of Muadamiyat if rebels did not hand over the town and disarm. In response, rebels proposed to surrender and withdraw 950 rebels to areas under control of the Syrian opposition in Idlib. The Syrian government was reported to be studying the proposal. [70]

On 10 September, a senior Syrian military officer told Al-Masdar News that a large number of opposition fighters surrendered and disarmed themselves at a government checkpoint on the outskirts of the city, asking for amnesty to which the Syrian Armed Forces agreed. [71] On 22 September, an aid convoy from United Nations arrived in the town. [72]

On 19 October, another deal was reached in order to evacuate remaining 700 rebels and 2,300 residents, including family members, from Moadamiyet to the Idlib Governorate. [5] The evacuation began later in the day. The rebels who did not want to leave would have their status regularised per the agreement. [73] [74] The last batch of residents left the town on the following day. [75]

Underground library in Darayya

During the siege of Darayya, residents in the city collected and maintained an underground library that helped ease the disruption of the war. The library's collection ultimately held 14,000 books located in an underground facility. [76] The library was founded in 2012 by a group of university students, who collected books from the rubble of destroyed houses. "We saw that it was vital to create a new library so that we could continue our education," former civil engineer student, Anas Ahmad told BBC. [76] The underground library evolved into a meeting place for the community. Syrian rebel fighters and civilians not only used the collection for recreational use, but for information like health and education. [77] The collection was ransacked and dismantled in August 2016 at the fall of Darayya by Syrian government forces. [78]

Mike Thomson, a BBC journalist, first uncovered the story of the secret library and has written a book called Syria's Secret Library, published November 2018. [79] He has also participated in a BBC Radio 4 podcast, where he interviewed the founders of the library and some of the residents a month before it was dismantled. [80]

Notes

  1. ↑ Not to be confused with the Conquest Brigade operating in northern Syria, this unit was an Islamist militia [23] made up of natives of Muadamiyat. [10] [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darayya</span> Place in Rif Dimashq, Syria

Darayya is a suburb of Damascus in Syria, the centre of Darayya lying 8 km south-west of the centre of Damascus. Administratively it belongs to Rif Dimashq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union</span> Alliance of Sunni Islamist groups during the Syrian civil war

The Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union was an alliance of Sunni Islamist groups affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood that was active in the Rif Dimashq Governorate during the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Hama offensive</span> Military operation launched by rebels in the Syrian Civil War

The 2014 Hama offensive, codenamed Ghazwat Badr al-Sham al-Kubra, was a military operation launched by Syrian rebels during the Syrian Civil War in the northern parts of Hama Governorate, in an attempt to reach the Hama Military Airport and the provincial capital of the province. It was also launched in an attempt to cut the supply line to Aleppo, especially after the rebels seized the village of Rahjan.

The Rif Dimashq offensive was a Syrian Army offensive in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, that was launched in late August 2014, as part of the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martyrs of Islam Brigade</span>

The Martyrs of Islam Brigade is a Syrian rebel group formed in the Damascus suburb of Darayya and was the main group that operated in the suburb. It was the only Syrian rebel group to be completely under the authority of a local city council and received U.S.-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles despite the tight siege Darayya was in between 2012 and 2016.

<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.

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

The Rif Dimashq offensive , or the battle of "Allah al-Ghalib", was a battle launched by the rebels around Tall Kurdi, Adra and Harasta in Eastern Ghouta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya</span> Military operation

The siege of al-Fu'ah and Kefriya was a siege of the towns of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya in the Idlib Governorate, towns with majority Shia populations and controlled by the Syrian government during the Syrian civil war. The siege began with a Sunni Islamist rebel assault on the capital of the province in March 2015, resulting in the capture of Idlib. On 18 July 2018, the besieged government forces reached an agreement with Tahrir al-Sham-led rebels to evacuate them and civilians from the two towns.

The 2015 Zabadani ceasefire agreement between Syrian opposition forces and the Syrian Armed Forces was achieved on 24 September 2015, with mediation from the United Nations, following the Battle of Zabadani (2015). The agreement was fulfilled in April 2017.

<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">Al-Rahman Legion</span>

The Al-Rahman Legion, also known as the Al-Rahman Corps, is a Syrian rebel group that operated in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus, and in the eastern Qalamoun Mountains. It was the main rebel group in Jobar, and was backed by Qatar. The group's leader is Abdul al-Nasr Shamir, a former Syrian Army officer from rural Homs who defected from the Syrian Army in early 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rif Dimashq offensive (June–October 2016)</span> Syrian Army offensive

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.

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

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 following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from September to December 2016. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleppo offensive (August–September 2016)</span> Syrian Army counter-offensive

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khan al-Shih offensive (October–November 2016)</span> Syrian Army offensive in the Rif Dimashq Governorate

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wadi Barada offensive (2016–2017)</span> Military operation against rebel-held villages by the Syrian Army

The Wadi Barada offensive (2016–2017) was a military operation against rebel-held villages in the Barada River valley by the Syrian Army and allied forces, including pro-government militias and Lebanese Hezbollah between December 2016 and January 2017. The Barada River valley includes the village of Ain al-Fijah which holds a water spring that provides drinking water to towns throughout the Rif Dimashq Governorate. During the offensive, a Government airstrike temporarily destroyed the spring, in what the United Nations has called a "war crime".

The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to April 2017. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.

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

The Golan Regiment was a Syrian militia based in Khan Arnabah that was 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 was notable insofar as it was the first government unit during the Syrian civil war that was founded by Free Syrian Army (FSA) defectors.

References

  1. 1 2 "Top Syria rebel commander killed in battle". The Peninsula Qatar. 16 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Raf Sanchez, Josie Ensor (26 August 2016). "Daraya surrenders to Assad regime after four years of siege and starvation". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Rebels to surrender Syrian town of Darayya to Assad's forces". The Guardian. 25 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Fadel, Leith (27 August 2016). "[Breaking] Syrian Army in full control of Darayya". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Another opposition-held Damascus suburb to be evacuated on Wednesday". The New Arab. 19 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 Fadel, Leith (24 June 2016). "Syrian Army captures over 25 farms in southern Darayya: map". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Daryya Rebels Thwarted another Attempt to Storm the City". El-Dorar Al-Shamia. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (1 September 2015). "Overview of some pro-Assad Militias". Syria Comment. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Top rebel commander killed in Darayya amid Syrian Army advance". Al-Masdar News . 26 February 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Robert Fisk (26 October 2016). "The Syrian town shattered by war that may finally have seen an end to the fighting". The Independent . Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 Browne, Gareth (1 September 2016). "Syria's Thermopylae: Daraya's retreating rebels could tip balance in battle for Aleppo". Middle East Eye . Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Cockburn, Patrick (8 September 2016). "The silent devastation of Daraya: Capture of suburb is a big step towards Assad winning the battle for Damascs". Independent. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (24 February 2016). "Liwa Dir' al-Watan: A New Pro-Assad Militia in Damascus". Syria Comment. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "As regime drops hundreds of barrel bombs on Darayya, rebel spokesman says 'history will take note of how the revolution abandoned us'". Syria:direct. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  15. 1 2 Charkatli, Izat (8 August 2016). "Rebel commander killed in Daraya clashes". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  16. 1 2 Adra, Zen (28 July 2016). "Field Report: Syrian Army tightens the noose around rebels in Darayya. Map Update". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  17. ↑ Leith Fadel (7 September 2015). "Ajnad Al-Sham Suffers a Devastating Blow in Darayya: Leader Killed by the Syrian Air Force". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 Fadel, Leith (11 July 2016). "Syrian Army seizes half of Darayya as rebel defenses fall apart". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  19. 1 2 "The Inside Source". Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  20. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (15 May 2016). "The Leopards of Homs: A Pro-Assad Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  21. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (6 August 2016). "Liwa Sayf al-Mahdi: A Syrian Army Shi'i Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  22. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (14 December 2016). "Usud Al-Cherubim: A Pro-Assad Christian Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  23. ↑ "Darayya…How Iran Kills Cities". Baladi News. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  24. 1 2 "Islamist group tortures unarmed man to death south Damascus: brother". Zaman al-Wasl. 15 August 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 4 "With fewer than 1,000 remaining, Darayya rebels 'abandoned' as regime advances". Syria:direct. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  26. ↑ "Darayya siege: Residents and fighters ready to evacuate Syrian town – BBC News" . Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  27. ↑ "Syria Direct: News Update 8-6-15". Syria Direct.
  28. ↑ "Syrian Army begins siege of Darayya in rural Damascus". Al-Masdar News . 28 January 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  29. ↑ "Red Cross aid convoy denied entry to Syrian city of Darayya". The Guardian. 12 May 2012.
  30. ↑ "Is there an end in sight to Assad's starvation policy?". The National. 2 June 2016.
  31. ↑ "Syria, Facing Deadline, Allows Limited Aid to Besieged Town of Daraya". The New York Times. 2 June 2016.
  32. ↑ "Quneitra rebels aim to relieve siege of Darayya". Now News. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  33. ↑ "Besieged Syrian Town Gets First Food Aid Since 2012, Then Gets Bombed". The New York Times. 11 June 2016.
  34. ↑ "Regime razes Damascus areas for defensive measure". Now News. 18 June 2016. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  35. ↑ "Syria opposition advances towards besieged Daraya: Reports". Middle East Eye. 20 June 2016.
  36. ↑ Fadel, Leith (21 June 2016). "Islamist offensive in Darayya ends in failure". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  37. ↑ Tomson, Chris (25 June 2016). "Syrian Army offers rebels in Darayya last chance to surrender – Map update". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  38. ↑ Tomson, Chris (30 June 2016). "Syrian Army presses Darayya offensive as rebels refuse to surrender". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  39. ↑ "قوات النظام تنفذ هجوماً وتتقدم في كتل سكنية بداريا في غوطة دمشق الغربية".
  40. ↑ Fadel, Leith (13 July 2016). "Syrian Army captures all of Darayya Farms: map". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  41. ↑ "Syrian Regime Progressing In Darayya … Opposition Breaks Down A Mine Sweeper – Qasion News Agency". Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  42. ↑ Fadel, Leith (14 July 2016). "Syrian Army approaches strategic Darayya Railway". Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  43. ↑ "Progovernment forces advance in Syrian cities – The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  44. ↑ "قصف مكثف يرافق الاشتباكات في أطراف داريا وقوات النظام تتقدم في كتل سكنية بالمدينة".
  45. ↑ Fadel, Leith (18 July 2016). "Syrian Army begins important military operation inside Darayya". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  46. ↑ Fadel, Leith (20 July 2016). "Syrian Army advances in key town outside Damascus". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  47. ↑ "Regime forces lose in south of Daraya city in countryside of Damascus". Qasion News. 24 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  48. ↑ "New regime offensive over Darayya". Qasion News. 28 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  49. ↑ "Renewed clashes and shelling in al-Ghouta".
  50. ↑ Fadel, Leith (2 August 2016). "Syrian Army captures new points inside Darayya". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  51. ↑ Fadel, Leith (5 August 2016). "Syrian Army seizes large chunks of strategic west Damascus town". Archived from the original on 25 June 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  52. ↑ Fadel, Leith (14 August 2016). "Syrian Army makes huge advance in key Islamist stronghold outside Damascus". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  53. ↑ Fadel, Leith (16 August 2016). "Islamists carry out surprise attack in Darayya". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  54. ↑ Fadel, Leith (17 August 2016). "Syrian Army makes another large advance in key rebel stronghold". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  55. ↑ Fadel, Leith (19 August 2016). "Syrian Army makes strategic advance in Islamist stronghold". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  56. ↑ Charkatli, Izat (19 August 2016). "Syrian Army advances in Daraya amidst total collapse of jihadist defenses (Video)". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  57. ↑ "Violent clashes on the outskirts of Darayya city and the regime forces continue the intensive shelling on the city".
  58. ↑ Adra, Zen (21 August 2016). "Field Report: Syrian Army pushes deeper inside Darayya. Map Update". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  59. ↑ Charkatli, Izat (23 August 2016). "Syrian Army on verge of splitting militant stronghold in two". Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  60. ↑ Fadel, Leith (26 August 2016). "First phase of Darayya surrender completed". Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  61. ↑ Fadel, Leith (26 August 2016). "[Map] Syrian Army in full control of Islamist stronghold". Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  62. ↑ "The agreement of Daraya city is taking its first steps".
  63. ↑ "Rebels, civilians leave besieged Daraya in symbolic win for Assad". NBC News . Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  64. ↑ Fadel, Leith (26 August 2016). "Islamist rebels preparing to surrender another stronghold to the Syrian Army". Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  65. ↑ "Syria regime threatens besieged Damascus town with "total war"". Now News. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  66. ↑ "Syrian suburb surrenders while 25 killed in government airstrikes". Toronto Star. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  67. ↑ "Another besieged Damascus suburb surrenders". The National. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  68. ↑ "Syria: Fear rises as Moadamiyeh evacuation begins". Al Jazeera. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  69. ↑ "300 Syrians Leave Besieged Damascus Suburb After Deal". Voice of America. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  70. ↑ "Syrian rebels in Muadamiyat Al-Sham to surrender". Middle East Monitor. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  71. ↑ "Several rebels surrender to the Syrian Army in Mo'adhimiyah Al-Sham". Al-Masdar News . 10 September 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  72. ↑ "Syria: Strikes pound Aleppo as UN resumes aid delivery". Al Jazeera. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  73. ↑ "Syrian forces move rebels and civilians from besieged Damascus suburb". Middle East Eye. 19 October 2016.
  74. ↑ "Await for the start of a new displacement operation from the Western Ghouta to the Syrian north". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 19 October 2016.
  75. ↑ "خروج آخر دفعة من مهجري "المعضمية".. وسيناريو التهجير بدأ في حي الوعر". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 20 October 2016.
  76. 1 2 "Bombs, Shrapnel, and Books: Syria's Secret Library". Global Citizen. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  77. ↑ Thomson, Mike (28 July 2016). "Syria's secret library". BBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  78. ↑ Frederik Pleitgen; Claudia Otto. "How underground library gave hope amid war". CNN. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  79. ↑ Thomson, Mike (1 November 2018). Syria's Secret Library. Orion. ISBN   9781474605939.
  80. ↑ "Syria's Secret Library, Crossing Continents – BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2018.

33°27′00″N36°15′00″E / 33.4500°N 36.2500°E / 33.4500; 36.2500

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.