Part of the Syrian Civil War, the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign consisted of several battles and offensives across the governorate including the Syrian capital of Damascus:
Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign | ||||||||||
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Part of Syrian Civil War | ||||||||||
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Belligerents | ||||||||||
Syrian Arab Republic (until 2024) Iran (2013-2024) Russia (2015-2024) Palestine Liberation Army PFLP–GC Fatah al-Intifada Hezbollah Arab Nationalist Guard SSNP LAAG (from 2013) |
Syrian Salvation Government Syrian Interim Government Southern Operations Room Free Syrian Army Al-Nusra Front Ahrar ash-Sham Jaysh al-Islam | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) |
Offensives
edit- Rif Dimashq clashes (November 2011–March 2012): Damascus centre under government control, protests largely suppressed in the city.
- Battle of Damascus (2012): rebels first infiltration of Damascus from the surrounding countryside.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (August–October 2012): Syrian Army seizes more than half a dozen rebel-held towns north, west and south of Damascus, rebels retain control of the Ghouta area, east of Damascus.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013): Free Syrian Army takes control of Darayya, Zamalka, Harasta and Arbin, offensive stalls in early January 2013, due to continuing air-strikes. Army launches a major offensive on rebel-held Darayya in mid-January.
- Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat (November 2012–October 2016): rebels surrender Darayya as well as Mudamiyat al-Sham to the government and leave both towns.[1][2][3]
- Damascus offensive (6 February – 25 March 2013): rebel operations around Damascus city ring.
- Siege of Eastern Ghouta (May 2013 – April 2018): The Syrian Army captures Eastern Ghouta.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (March–August 2013): Syrian Army captures the towns of Jdaidet al-Fadl, Jdeidit Artouz, Otaiba, Qaysa, Jarba, Harran Al-Awamid and Abadeh cutting the main rebel supply line into Damascus. Syrian Army surrounds the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area, surrounds and partially advances into the rebel-held Qaboun, Barzeh and Jobar suburbs.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (September–November 2013): Syrian Army captures the towns of Shaba’a, Sheikh Omar, al-Thiabiya, Husseiniya, Bweida, Hatetat al-Turkman, Al-Sabinah.
- Battle of Al-Malihah: Syrian Army captures Al-Maliha after a four-month battle.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (August–November 2014): Syrian Army captures Heteta al-Jersh and Adra and recaptures al-Dukhaniyya and Kabbasa.
- Battle of Yarmouk Camp (2015): the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) invades Yarmouk Camp, with aid from al-Nusra Front, and manages to capture 95% of the camp on 7 April, before Syrian rebel groups and the Syrian Army launch a counterattack on 12 April to drive ISIL and al-Nusra Front out of the area.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (September 2015): limited rebel gains.
- Al-Dumayr offensive (April 2016): Syrian Army repels ISIL's offensive.
- East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (April–May 2016): rebel infighting between Jaish al-Fustat and Jaysh al-Islam.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (April–May 2016): Army territorial gains in rebel strongholds of Deir al-Asafir and Zabdin.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (June–October 2016): Large Army gains in the northeastern section of Eastern Ghouta.
- Eastern Qalamoun offensive (September–October 2016): Indecisive.
- Khan al-Shih offensive (October–November 2016): Army captures the Khan al-Shih rebel pocket of Western Ghouta.
- Wadi Barada offensive (2016–17): Army captures Wadi Barada after a three-year siege.
- Qaboun offensive (2017): Army captures the Qaboun, Barzeh and Tishrin neighborhoods of Damascus.
- East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (April–May 2017): Indecisive.
- Syrian Desert campaign (May–July 2017): Syrian Army and allies victory.
- 2017 Jobar offensive: Syrian Army offensive stalled; Army advance on Jobar repelled by rebels.
- Beit Jinn offensive: Syrian forces regain control of Beit Jinn.
- Battle of Harasta (2017–18): Indecisive.
- Southern Damascus offensive (January - February 2018): ISIS seize 90% of Yarmouk.
- Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018): decisive Syrian Army and allies Victory. Syrian government takes control over the Eastern Ghouta.
- 2nd Southern Damascus offensive (March 2018): ISIL victory.
- Eastern Qalamoun offensive (April 2018): Syrian Army and allies victory.
- 3rd Southern Damascus offensive (April-May 2018): Syrian Army and allies victory. Syrian government regains control over the whole Rif Dimashq and Damascus Governorates.
- Battle of Damascus (2024): Syrian opposition forces entered the Rif Dimashq region from the south, and came within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the capital Damascus.[4] Concurrently with the advance towards Damascus, opposition forces in the north launched an offensive into Homs city.[5]
Battle | Timespan | Government | Opposition |
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1st Rif Dimashq | 3 November 2011 – March 2012 | 800 killed | 1,000 killed |
1st Damascus | 15 July – 4 August 2012 | 97 killed | 300 killed |
2nd Rif Dimashq | 15 August – 7 October 2012 | Unknown | 1,500 killed |
3rd Rif Dimashq | 7 November 2012 – 5 February 2013 | 690 killed | 1,040 killed |
2nd Damascus | 6 February – 25 March 2013 | 440 killed | 735 killed |
4th Rif Dimashq | 26 March – 22 August 2013 | 1,150 killed | 2,125 killed |
5th Rif Dimashq | 10 September – 28 November 2013 | 115 killed | 1,000 killed |
6th Rif Dimashq | August – November 2014 | 175 killed | 678 killed |
7th Rif Dimashq | 11 – 27 September 2015 | 41 killed | 170 killed |
8th Rif Dimashq | 25 April – 19 May 2016 | Unknown | Unknown |
9th Rif Dimashq | 21 June – 30 October 2016 | Unknown | Unknown |
10th Rif Dimashq | 18 February – 14 April 2018 | 520 killed | 405 killed |
Total Casualties | 3 November 2011 – 21 May 2018 | At least 4,018 killed[citation needed] | 8,953 killed[citation needed] |
References
edit- ^ Raf Sanchez, Josie Ensor (26 August 2016). "Daraya surrenders to Assad regime after four years of siege and starvation". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 Aug 2016.
- ^ "Rebels to surrender Syrian town of Darayya to Assad's forces". The Guardian. 25 August 2016.
- ^ "Another opposition-held Damascus suburb to be evacuated on Wednesday". The New Arab. 19 October 2016.
- ^ "10 km from the capital Damascus.. The regime is withdrawing rapidly in southern Syria and the factions are advancing" (in Arabic). SOHR. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Local factions break the first lines of defense of Homs city and attack the headquarters of the 26th Division and the College of Engineering near the city" (in Arabic). SOHR. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.