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Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015)

October 30, 2023

Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015)
Part of the Syrian Civil War

Situation in Idlib Governorate as of 14 June 2015.
  Syrian Army control
  Syrian Opposition control
Date22 April – 14 June 2015
(1 month, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Idlib and Hama Governorates, Syria
Result

Decisive Army of Conquest-led rebel victory

  • Rebels capture Jisr al-Shughur, Ariha, Al-Mastumah military camp, Qarmeed (Brick Factory) base[15] and 18 villages in Idlib province[16][17]
  • Rebels capture five villages in the al-Ghaab Plain[18]
  • The SAA recaptures all of the villages in the al-Ghaab Plain,[19][20][12] except Sirmaniyah,[16] and establishes a new supply route in the area[21]
  • Syrian government troops were besieged at the National Hospital for 27 days before retreating[22] after their relief column failed to reach them[23][24]
Belligerents

Army of Conquest[1]

Syrian Arab Republic

Hezbollah[11]
Syrian Social Nationalist Party[12]
Syrian Resistance[13]
Reinforcements:
Liwa Fatemiyoun[14]
Supported by:
 Iran

Commanders and leaders
Abu al-Miqdad[25]
(al-Nusra commander of Idlib)
Abu Ahmad †[26]
(al-Nusra military leader)
Col. Jemiel Radoon
(Falcons of al-Ghab commander)[20]
Abu al-Hassan[27]
(Ahrar ash-Sham senior commander)
Abu Humam[28]
(Ariha region military leader)
Muslim Abu Walid al Shishani[29]
(Junud al-Sham leader)
Abu Rida Al-Turkestani †[30][31][32][33]
(Katibat Turkistani leader)		 Maj. Gen. Wahib Haidar[34]
(commander of Idlib province)
Gen. Jamal Younis[35]
(commander of Hama province)
Maj. Gen. Mehi al-Din Mansour †[36]
(Special Forces commander)
Col. Suheil Al Hassan[37]
(Special Forces commander)
Col. Mahamoud Subha[38]
(Hospital commander)
Mohamed Khair al-Sayyed[39]
(Governor of Idlib)
Dr. Ghassan Khalaf[40]
(Governor of Hama)
Ali Shalli[41]
(NDF leader of N/W Hama)
Units involved
Ansar al-Sham[5]
1st Coastal Division[42]
13th Division[5]
101st Division[42]
Falcons of Mount Zawiya Brigade
Knights of Justice Brigade[5]
Falcons of al-Ghab[20]

87th Brigade[43]
155th Brigade[44]
al-Qawat al-Nimr Brigade[37]
54th Special Forces Regiment[45]
Reinforcements:
106th Republican Guard Brigade[45]
40th Tank Brigade[45]
Suqur al-Sahara[citation needed]

Hezbollah Units[45]
Strength
9,000–12,000 fighters[42][46] 5,000 (Ariha area)[20]
1,000 (Al-Ghaab Plain)[47]
120–150 (National Hospital)[48]
Casualties and losses
221+ killed (SOHR claim)[49]
700–850 killed (Syrian Army claim)[50][51][52][53]		 325+ killed[*] and 300 captured or missing[**] (SOHR claim)[54][55][56]
100+ killed (Syrian Army claim)[50][51]
500 killed (rebel claim)[57]
27 civilians killed[58][59][60]
23 prisoners & 3 friendly officers executed by the SAA and IRGC[58][61]
* 20+ executed (opposition claim)[62]
** 200 soldiers and civilians in total were taken captive[63]

The Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015), dubbed by the rebels as the Battle of Victory,[64][65][66] took place in the Idlib and Hama governorates during the Syrian Civil War.

The campaign consisted of a three-pronged attack, with the two main assaults spearheaded by Ahrar ash-Sham, al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist factions under the banner of the Army of Conquest, and the remaining attack force including collaboration with Free Syrian Army brigades.[42][67] The commander of the FSA 13th Division stated that coordinating with other groups such as al-Nusra Front did not mean they were aligned with them.[2] Within days, the rebels captured the city of Jisr al-Shughur and later on an Army base.[64] The success of the campaign was attributed to better coordination between the Syrian opposition's backers.[68][69] Still, the operation resulted in a high attrition rate for both sides.[64]

Background edit

Main article: Second Battle of Idlib

On 24 March 2015, the newly established Army of Conquest assaulted Idlib city from three sides[70][71] and after four days of fighting the rebels captured the city and managed to besiege the towns of Kafarya and al-Fu'a.[72] The rebels then attacked the Mastouma military camp, south of the city, but their attack was repelled.[73] During the following days, the Syrian Army launched an offensive on the nearby town of Ariha,[74] and seized three villages.[75][76][77]

The offensive edit

Rebel capture of Jisr al-Shughur edit

 
Ahrar ash-Sham fighters in Jisr al-Shughur

On 22 April,[78] rebels (organised by the newly created Battle of Victory operations room) launched an offensive against the de facto provincial capital of Idlib governorate, Jisr al-Shughur, threatening to cut off government access to a major highway linking Idlib to Latakia.[79] Other objectives in this offensive were the Brick Factory base (Al-Qarmeed), near Mastouma, and the Al-Ghaab Plain in Hama governorate,[80] where FSA units were tasked with spearheading the cutting of Syrian Arab Army supply lines from the west.[42] An al-Nusra Front suicide bomber detonated a VBIED near the Brick Factory,[81] marking the beginning of the operation.[82] A BMP packed with explosives was also detonated at a checkpoint in the north of Jisr al-Shughur.[83] At the end of 23 April, despite contradictory statements, Jisr al-Shughur was still under control by government troops.[citation needed] Al-Nusra claimed to had sent 15 suicide bombers into the city as part of the assault.[84] Meanwhile, in the Al-Ghaab Plain, a rebel attack on the village of Sirmaniyah was repelled.[85] A car-bomb was detonated in the Sirmaniyah area as well.[83]

By the next day, rebels had captured one checkpoint near the Mastouma base[86] and four checkpoints around Jisr al-Shughur,[79] but clashes still continued at a distance of 2–4 km near of the city.[87][88] The rebels reportedly also advanced near the city's sugar plant[89] and captured a hill near the Brick Factory base.[80] However, the Syrian Army claimed that it "secured the city" at the cost of 13 soldiers and denied that rebels advanced near the sugar plant.[90] Later that day, rebels captured the strategic Tal Hekmah checkpoint near the road between Jisr al-Shughur and Ariha. Meanwhile, the Syrian Air Force conducted at least 40 airstrikes in Idlib.[91] Later, an opposition source reported that the rebels controlled the three highest points near the town of Furayqah (Tal Muntar, Tal Hamkah and Tal Mantaf), but the road between Jisr al-Shughur and Ariha was still not cut.[92][93] However, government reinforcements arrived and recaptured the Tal Hekmah checkpoint.[94][95]

According to the SOHR, since the start of the offensive, 43 rebels, including 13 Chechens, had been killed, government casualties numbered 30[84] Meanwhile, pro-government sources placed the rebel death toll at 100,[85] with 47 soldiers dying as well.[96] Throughout the first few days of the offensive, FSA brigades such as Fursan al-Haq and the 1st Coastal Division (including notable gunner Osama Abo Hamza) used anti-tank TOW missiles against a number of SAA armored vehicles in the al-Ghaab Plain.[42][67]

 
The National Hospital where the government loyalists were besieged by rebels

Early on 25 April, rebels captured the sugar plant[97] and later, a VBIED was detonated at the Ayn Sibeel checkpoint[98] before an al-Nusra Front-led rebel force captured most of the city, with fighting continuing and air-strikes hitting rebel positions.[99][100] The national hospital and one checkpoint specifically remained under government control at this point,[101] as clashes continued in the southwestern part of the city.[102] Meanwhile, the Syrian Army claimed that it had captured the village of Kurin.[103] Soon after, rebels fully secured Jisr al-Shughur,[104] except for the hospital where soldiers were still holed up.[43][105] Clashes also still continued in the vicinity of the city from the south and east. 60 bodies of government fighters were reportedly seen on the streets.[104] During the SAA's retreat, Syrian Army intelligence executed 23 prisoners at the hospital before withdrawing.[58][106] The Syrian Air Force launched 30 airstrikes around the city after its fall.[107]

After the seizure of Jisr al-Shughur, rebels captured five villages in the Al-Ghaab Plain[18] and seized the village of Eshtabraq near Jisr al-Shughur,[108] while 27 people, including 20 rebels were killed by airstrikes on the captured city.[58][109]

The next day, Syrian troops reportedly recaptured the sugar plant[43] and were fighting at the entrance to the city,[citation needed] with one report putting the clashes at around 5 kilometers south of Jisr al-Shughur.[110] Military sources also reported the SAA recapturing a village in the Al-Ghaab Plain[111] and opening a corridor from the sugar plant to the soldiers besieged at the hospital in Jisr al-Shughur.[43]

 
Al-Nusra Front fighters in Jisr al-Shughur

On 27 April, rebels captured the Qarmeed Brick Factory base after launching two suicide attacks. After hours of intense clashes, Syrian troops were forced to retreat after the main facility caught on fire. 19 soldiers were killed, while the Syrian Army claimed to have killed 60–80 rebels.[112] Pro-opposition activist Cédric Labrousse reported that more than 90 were killed on both sides,[113] while the SOHR reported 10 rebel deaths at the base, including the two suicide bombers, and seven tanks, six cannons and a large quantity of ammunition being seized by the rebels.[114][115] Three SAA tanks were reportedly destroyed as well.[116] After the fall of the Brick Factory base, 14 airstrikes struck the area.[59]

Later, the SAA recaptured the village of Ghaniyah in the Al-Ghaab Plains,[19][12] while three other villages were contested.[21] During the day, al-Nusra Front used American-made TOW missiles against Hezbollah positions.[11] The SAA also recaptured a village at Jisr al-Shughur, but lost it again two days later.[117]

As of 28 April, rebels besieged the hospital where soldiers were still continuing to fight.[118] On the same day, a military source reported that Syrian government troops launched a counterattack on the Brick Factory in Idlib.[119] Video footage emerged of Col. Hassan conducting a phone call to Damascus pleading for reinforcements while surrounded by his troops.[120] According to Elijah J. Magnier from the AL RAI newspaper, Damascus had given the order to retake Jisr al-Shughur at all costs.[121] Meanwhile, rebels blew up a bridge in an attempt to block Hama-based government fighters from reaching Jisr al-Shughur.[122]

On 29 April, rebels seized the Musbin area, which links Ariha and Saraqeb.[123] A military source confirmed the loss of the Musbin Quarry, but asserted that the SAA was still in control of the village and its hill. A fourth rebel attack in four days against the hospital was also repelled.[117]

 
Situation in Idlib Governorate, late-April 2015

On 1 May, al-Nusra Front carried out a suicide bomb attack on the government garrison inside the national hospital.[124] By the end of the day, the hospital was still under control by government troops.[125] The clashes around the hospital left 14 al-Nusra fighters and "dozens" of government soldiers dead and wounded.[126] By this point, around 5,000 soldiers were holed up at the Mastouma military base, east of Ariha, in Ariha itself, and on the hills surrounding it. The FSA Falcons of al-Gab unit blew up three bridges in an attempt to prevent their potential retreat and used TOW missiles supplied by the United States specifically for this operation.[20]

Syrian Army counter-offensive edit

On 2 May, SAA units, backed by Hezbollah, launched a counter-attack[127] and recaptured three villages in the al-Ghaab Plain:[20] Al-Misheek, Al-Ziyarah and Tall Waset.[128][129][130] The clashes resulted in the death of at least five rebels and five Hezbollah fighters.[131] Military sources additionally stated that Syrian government troops seized a part of Qastoun.[129] The aim of the counter-offensive was to hold and further reinforce supply routes towards Idlib province.[127]

The next day, Syrian government troops advanced around Tall Ma'er tab'i,[132] after an attempted rebel attack was repelled and captured the nearby Tall SyriaTel hill. Government forces also reportedly advanced from Ghanya towards Eshtabraq.[133] In addition, the SAA started an operation to encircle the rebel-held Al-Sirmaniyah.[134]

On 4 May, the seventh rebel attack in seven days on the National Hospital was repelled.[135] Rebel forces continued attacking Ariha and Mastouma, as well as Ankawi and Ghab in an attempt to cut off the M4 highway linking Latakia to Idlib and Aleppo, forcing SAA units to defend a weak 30-mile W-shaped defensive line.[136] Rebels reportedly advanced in the Hosh Msibin and Bothayna areas after they destroyed two tanks[137] and recaptured Tal SyrianTel.[138]

On 6 May, government forces launched an attack on the al-Alawin checkpoint and rebels positions on the hills surrounding Frikka, while the Syrian Air Force conducted more than 50 air raids in the area. Government troops (including non-Syrian militia) advanced in this area.[14][139] Meanwhile, rebels claimed to have captured the last hill near Ariha, Tal Ma'ar Tab'i,[140] while the Syrian Arab Army stated the rebel attack on the hill was repelled before nightfall.[141]

On 7 May, the Syrian Army claimed the Tiger Forces managed to recapture the sugar plant near Jisr al-Shughur, after seizing the village of Qarta.[141] Also, 20 airstrikes were reported while the rebels managed to destroy two tanks and another vehicle during clashes around al-Alawin checkpoint and Frikka hills,[142] where it was later reported by the military that the Army captured both the al-Alawin checkpoint and Malta Hill.[143] According to the SOHR, 14 government soldiers and officers, including the Syrian Brigadier General Kemal Dib, were killed in Jisr al-Shughur.[144][145] The next day, government forces were confirmed to had seized three points between the al-Alawin checkpoint and Frikka hills, while 24 airstrikes were reported.[146] Two of the locations were the villages of Frikka Al-Abeed and Sheikh Elias,[19] while the third was reportedly Al-Karnaza.[citation needed]

On 9 May, government forces advanced towards Jisr al-Shughur, in an attempt to break the siege of the 250 soldiers and family members (including high-ranking officers) at the National Hospital, and came within two kilometers of the hospital.[147][148] They also reportedly captured Tal Hataab, near Frikka,[19][149] amid 20 airstrikes in the region.[150]

On 10 May, the rebels launched a new assault on the National Hospital, after a second car bomb was detonated.[151] Rebels managed to enter one of the hospital buildings during the assault, but their attack was repelled,[152][153] while the Air Force conducted 33 airstrikes throughout the area,[154] of which 22 were around the hospital.[155] The Syrian Army advanced towards the town,[156] but their push towards Jisr al-Shughur hospital was temporarily halted and the rebels managed to recapture three checkpoints,[157] before they were pushed back again during the fighting that continued early into the next day. The clashes at the hospital and attacks on the relief column left 40 rebels and 32 soldiers dead.[158] Elsewhere, the SAA captured Al-Mushayrafat and its hill (Tal Sheikh Al-Khataab), north of Frikka.[159][160] At the same time, rebels took the Zeizun thermal plant in the al-Ghaab plain, after damaging several government vehicles.[161] Later during the night, rebel forces were forced to retreat from the plant, but were still in control of the nearby village of Zeizun.[162] The thermal plant sustained severe damage during the fighting.[163]

On 11 May, clashes continued in and around the hospital and near the sugar plant, where rebels destroyed a tank and government forces recaptured two checkpoints. 14 airstrikes struck rebel positions throughout the day.[164][165] On the same day, around 20 rebels from the FSA's 101st Division were killed after a failed attack on the village of Kafr Najd, near Ariha.[166]

Renewed rebel advance and capture of Ariha edit

As of 12 May, rebels were still holding a part of the hospital, while the fighting continued in and around it and near the sugar factory.[60] Rebels retreated from the village of Sanqarah after temporally seizing it at dawn[167] and claimed to have killed at least 20 soldiers in the hit-and-run attack.[168] Rebels also attacked and captured al-Kufayr village.[51] Meanwhile, opposition sources claimed that the Syrian Brigadier General Abdel Razak Abu Khader Raml was killed.[169] At the end of the day, the rebels launched an assault against the village of Musbin, near Mastouma, and Jabal al-Arbaeen area, near Ariha, after a tunnel bomb was detonated under the al-Fanar military checkpoint.[170][171] Rebels captured the Jabal al-Arbaeen area[172] and Musbin, while at least 17 soldiers (including three commanders) and 11 rebel fighters (including three leaders) were killed.[173] However, government forces were able to recapture one checkpoint overlooking Ariha overnight, but eventually retreated after rebels launched a second attack the next day.[174] According to a military source, Musbin was still contested and rebels were not in full control.[51]

On 14 May, government forces recaptured the village of al-Kufayr,[51][175] while Brig. Gen. Kemal Dib[176] and Maj. Gen. Muheiddeine Mansour were killed in and near Jisr al-Shughur.[36] A suicide-car bomb was destroyed near the hospital before it could reach the complex.[177] At the end of the day, rebels recaptured large parts of Al-Mushayrafat, with fighting for the village continuing.[160] The next day, government forces reportedly managed to recapture the al-Fanar checkpoint, near Ariha, but were unable to hold al-Kufayr, which they regained 24 hours earlier, and had to abandon it once again due to heavy rebel presence in the surrounding hills.[178]

On 17 May, according to an opposition source, more than 2,500 rebels attacked Mastouma and the nearby Ba'ath military camp.[citation needed] During the attack, an VBIED was detonated near the military camp, while rebels captured al-Moqbili village and advanced in Mastouma, where they captured at least 10 checkpoints[179] and Mastouma hill. Meanwhile, the Syrian army claimed to have advanced towards Kufayr.[52]

On 19 May, after several days of violent clashes, rebels took control of Al-Mastumah, its military camp (which was the largest remaining Army base in Idlib in government hands) and Nihlaya after the SAA retreated towards Ariha.[180][181] Syrian Army defenses "disintegrated", making Ariha endangered from the northern axis.[182] A spokesman for Ahrar al-Sham claimed that the SAA had already begun withdrawing from Ariha as well.[183] Government forces reportedly destroyed all warehouses with arms and ammunition before they retreated,[184] with opposition media showing, what it claimed to be, footage of several destroyed and overturned army vehicles littered with dead bodies, after a convoy of retreating government troops was interdicted.[185] The clashes led to the death of 16 rebels and 15 government fighters, while others were captured, and the destruction of a number of armored vehicles (including tanks).[186] Several rebel attacks on Kafr Najd were repelled later that day.[187][188]

On 21 May, rebels advanced towards Ariha.[189] The next day at 8:00 am,[190] an estimated 150–500 government forces attempted a breakout at the besieged hospital in broad daylight and fled towards the government-controlled area south of Jisr al-Shughur. Some were killed, wounded and captured under withering opposition fire,[191] with 3 generals and a colonel killed or captured en route.[38] Rebels claimed to have killed 208[192] and captured 65 government fighters during the retreat,[193] with figures given of not more than a dozen to 55 surviving.[22] Meanwhile, pro-government sources reported that 127 soldiers out of the garrison of 170 had successfully escaped.[194] Journalist Robert Fisk found that "far less than half" of those who retreated from the National Hospital reached safety, with some subsequently dying of their wounds after reaching government lines.[195] Syrian State TV declared the retreat a "victory" amid congratulations by most government supporters, while some voiced criticism.[22] The Syrian Air Force conducted at least 22 airstrikes that day, while the SAA attempted to advance towards Jisr al-Shughur. Opposition forces took the hospital later that day.[196]

As of 23 May, SOHR documented the death of 261 Syrian soldiers and pro-government militia, including 90 officers (one Major General, 11 Brigadier Generals, 11 Colonels and three Lieutenant Colonels), since the beginning of the offensive in and near Jisr al-Shughur.[54] Syrian state television claimed that the armed forces killed at least 300 rebels and wounded hundreds others during a Syrian Army operation to free troops in the hospital.[53] On the same day, the Syrian troops attacked the rebel-held the village of Sirmaniyyah in the al-Ghab plain.[197][198]

 
Situation in Idlib Governorate, late-May 2015

On 28 May, rebels began a large assault on Ariha and were able to enter the eastern districts of the city, whilst fierce fighting continued near the town.[199][200] Several hours later, opposition forces captured Ariha and Kafr Najd, as government troops retreated towards Urum al-Jawz and Muhambal on the Ariha–Jisr al-Shughur Highway.[15][201] In the evening, the rebels also captured Ma'taram.[202] At least 31 government forces were killed that day, including 13 soldiers who were executed by the rebels.[55]

The next day, rebels captured the villages of Orm al-Joz and Ein Orm al-Joz.[203]

Fighting for the Ariha–Latakia highway edit

On 4 June, the Army recaptured the villages of Tal A'our, Al-Zayadiyah and Sararif[204] and the hills of Tall Ghazal and Tall al-Sahan.[205] The next day, the Syrian Army advanced and seized the areas of Marj al-Zohour and the Zayzoun Dam, near the administrative border between Idlib and Hama.[206]

On the same day, the rebels launched a large-scale attack on the Sheikh Ali hill area and gained ground in the Basanqul forest,[206] and eventually captured the hill itself.[207] In addition, the rebels captured five villages near Basanqul.[17]

On 6 June, the rebels captured Basanqul[208] and Mahambel.[209] The rebels continued advancing that day and captured two checkpoints west of Mahambel, including the largest remaining barrier in Idlib.[210] According to the SOHR, the Syrian Army lost 11 tanks and armoured vehicles during the new rebel assault.[206][209] The fighting killed 32 soldiers and 13 rebels, according to SOHR.[56]

By the end of 6 June, an Ahrar al-Sham spokesman claimed that the Army of Conquest controlled about 99% of Idlib province.[211]

On 8 June, the SAAF conducted airstrikes on the village of al-Janodia, which reportedly killed 49 civilians,[212] while Iranian officers were reported to had executed three Syrian Arab Army officers who retreated from the Mahambel and Basanqul checkpoints.[61]

 
Situation in Idlib Governorate, mid-June 2015

On 13 June, the rebels launched an assault on the remaining government-held positions in Idlib, with the SOHR reporting that they captured Al-Mushayrifah, Jannat al-Qura, and Tal Sheikh Khattab, along the highway,[213] although those locations were reported captured more than two weeks earlier.[16] Rebels also advanced in the Sarafif area, which was recaptured by the Syrian Army on 4 June.[213] On that day, one of the two bodyguards of Col. Suheil Al Hassan died of his wounds, after being shot by a rebel sniper.[214]

By the next day, the Syrian Army had regained control over the areas it lost on the previous day, after the rebels retreated under heavy airstrikes and shelling.[215]

Aftermath – Syrian Army retreat from the Jisr al-Shugur area edit

On 28 July, rebels launched an assault to capture the remaining areas surrounding Jisr al-Shugur. Two hours later, rebels had captured the strategic hills of Tal Khattab, Tal 'Awar and Tal Hamka; along with the towns of Frikka, Mushayrafah, Salat Al-Zuhour and Zayzoun. The Army retreated to the south in order to reinforce its positions at Tall Wassit and Tall Sheikh Elyas.[216] The Army responded with 160 airstrikes and dozens of shells and missiles. According to the SOHR, about 90 government fighters were killed or wounded during the assault, while 37 rebels (15 non-Syrian; including a Jordanian leader) were killed.[217]

However, three days later, the Syrian Army recaptured Ziyadia and Zezoun, including its power station. In addition, they captured the towns of Khirbat al-Naqus and Mansoura and its surrounding areas. The advances came after the Air Force had conducted more than 270 air-strikes on rebel positions over four days. The fighting had left 39 combatants dead,[218] including 20 soldiers and 19 rebels.[219]

Strategic analysis edit

The Jisr al-Shughur offensive has been described as one of the "largest and most ambitious operations of the Syrian civil war" consisting of some 40 opposition groups, with the main goal being to outflank and interdict Col. Suheil Al Hassan's Tiger forces, who were sent to attempt to push back against the 2015 Idlib offensive, which followed the opposition victory at the Second Battle of Idlib.[42] According to Stratfor, the potential cutting off by opposition forces of the Idlib salient, where the 11th Armor Division and the Tiger Forces found themselves isolated, would perhaps result in "an even bigger catastrophe" for the Syrian Arab Army.[220] The deployment of elite government forces such as the Tiger Forces and the Desert Falcons to Idlib from other fronts was viewed by Stratfor as a mistake that left the government highly vulnerable in the eastern part of Homs province.[221]

Opposition forces were widely reported to be planning to move on the government's stronghold of Latakia, following the capture of Jisr al-Shughur.[222][223][224][225][226] The reopening of the Latakia front was a focus, at the time, of Saudi Arabian policy to unite opposition factions.[227] Analyst Charles Lister of the Brookings Doha Centre stated that "For the opposition as a whole, it would open up the route into Latakia from Idlib and Hama, which could significantly enhance any future offensive on Latakia ... That would be very dangerous for the regime", adding that the seizing of Jisr al-Shughur should be seen as part of a bigger strategy.[228] An Ahrar al-Sham spokesperson stated: "Jisr al-Shughour is more important than Idlib itself, it is very close to the coastal area which is a regime area, the coast now is within our fire reach".[229] As rebels advanced in early June along the Idlib–Latakia highway, fighting intensified in the Latakia District near the Jabal al Akrad mountain range, that overlooks Alawite villages close to Qardaha, the ancestral home of the Assad family.[230]

After recent rebel victories against the government, some people began to fear a scenario where hardline rebels would swarm Damascus in the near future, despite government reassurances.[231] AL RAI Chief International Correspondent, Elijah J. Magnier, reported that Syria was heading towards partition after recent events in Idlib.[232] Jane's Information Group stated that the offensive threatened to show president Bashar al-Assad as "incapable even of protecting the coastal mountain areas where the Alawites (his core support base) are concentrated" and speculated Iran would not see him as the primary keeper of their interests in Syria.[233]

In early June, a Syrian security source reported that thousands of Iranian and Iraqi fighters were being assembled; "[t]he goal is to reach 10,000 men to support the Syrian army and pro-government militias, firstly in Damascus, and then to retake Jisr al-Shughur because it is key to the Mediterranean coast and the Hama region". This came days after Iranian Quds force general Qasem Soleimani pledged that "In the coming days the world will be surprised by what we are preparing, in cooperation with Syrian military leaders",[234] yet Soleimani was reported to be infuriated that his remarks were leaked by a Syrian official in an attempt to boost morale.[235] The SOHR reported the arrival of 6,000 fighters from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.[56]

Reactions edit

Domestic reaction edit

  •   Syria - On 28 April 2015, Syria accused Turkey of providing military and logistic support to al-Nusra in their attack on Idlib,[236] with Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem describing the situation in Idlib as having "Zionist-American sponsorship".[237]

International reaction edit

  •   Iran - Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was reportedly furious with Syrian military commanders when arriving in Syria to assess the opposition gains in Idlib. "Why are your heads down? [...] The people of Syria have been paying their taxes to pay your wages for precisely such a day, so that you defend them against a band of evil beasts. Why have you lost your nerve now?" he is reported to have berated them.[235]

See also edit

References edit

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  2. ^ a b "Syrian rebels fight Syrian army near Assad heartland". Newsweek. Reuters. 30 April 2015. from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015. As the biggest group in Army of Fatah, Ahrar al-Sham appears to hold the key to preventing infighting.
  3. ^ "Jihadists celebrate in key Idlib city after defeating Syrian regime". Long War Journal. 27 April 2015. from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
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  7. ^ Weiss, Caleb (23 April 2015). "Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria involved in new Idlib offensive". Long War Journal. from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Ṣawt al-Islām presents a new video message from Ḥizb al-Islāmī al-Turkistānī [Turkistan Islamic Party] in Bilād al-Shām: "Conquest of Jisr al-Shaghūr"". Jihadology. 1 May 2015. from the original on 23 September 2015.
  9. ^ Idlibga oid so'ngi qishloqlardagi janglar - Идлибга оид сўнги қишлоқлардаги жанглар. YouTube. 31 July 2015. from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  10. ^ Idlibga oid so'ngi qishloqlardagi janglar - Идлибга оид сўнги қишлоқлардаги жанглар. 31 July 2015. from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2015 – via YouTube.
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35°48′00″N 36°19′00″E / 35.8000°N 36.3167°E / 35.8000; 36.3167

October 30, 2023
northwestern, syria, offensive, april, june, 2015, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, northwestern, syr. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Northwestern Syria offensive April June 2015 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Northwestern Syria offensive April June 2015 Part of the Syrian Civil WarSituation in Idlib Governorate as of 14 June 2015 Syrian Army control Syrian Opposition controlDate22 April 14 June 2015 1 month 3 weeks and 2 days LocationIdlib and Hama Governorates SyriaResultDecisive Army of Conquest led rebel victory Rebels capture Jisr al Shughur Ariha Al Mastumah military camp Qarmeed Brick Factory base 15 and 18 villages in Idlib province 16 17 Rebels capture five villages in the al Ghaab Plain 18 The SAA recaptures all of the villages in the al Ghaab Plain 19 20 12 except Sirmaniyah 16 and establishes a new supply route in the area 21 Syrian government troops were besieged at the National Hospital for 27 days before retreating 22 after their relief column failed to reach them 23 24 BelligerentsArmy of Conquest 1 Al Nusra Front Ahrar ash Sham 2 Sham Legion Jaysh al Sunna Liwa al Haqq Jund al Aqsa Ajnad ash Sham Imam Bukhari Jamaat 3 Ajnad al Kavkaz 4 Junud al Sham 5 Jabhat Ansar al Din 6 Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria 7 8 Katibat Tawhid wa Jihad Uzbeks Uzbek Tavhid va Jihod katibasi 9 10 Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Armed Forces National Defense ForceHezbollah 11 Syrian Social Nationalist Party 12 Syrian Resistance 13 Reinforcements Liwa Fatemiyoun 14 Supported by Iran IRGC 14 Commanders and leadersAbu al Miqdad 25 al Nusra commander of Idlib Abu Ahmad 26 al Nusra military leader Col Jemiel Radoon Falcons of al Ghab commander 20 Abu al Hassan 27 Ahrar ash Sham senior commander Abu Humam 28 Ariha region military leader Muslim Abu Walid al Shishani 29 Junud al Sham leader Abu Rida Al Turkestani 30 31 32 33 Katibat Turkistani leader Maj Gen Wahib Haidar 34 commander of Idlib province Gen Jamal Younis 35 commander of Hama province Maj Gen Mehi al Din Mansour 36 Special Forces commander Col Suheil Al Hassan 37 Special Forces commander Col Mahamoud Subha 38 Hospital commander Mohamed Khair al Sayyed 39 Governor of Idlib Dr Ghassan Khalaf 40 Governor of Hama Ali Shalli 41 NDF leader of N W Hama Units involvedAnsar al Sham 5 1st Coastal Division 42 13th Division 5 101st Division 42 Falcons of Mount Zawiya Brigade Knights of Justice Brigade 5 Falcons of al Ghab 20 87th Brigade 43 155th Brigade 44 al Qawat al Nimr Brigade 37 54th Special Forces Regiment 45 Reinforcements 106th Republican Guard Brigade 45 40th Tank Brigade 45 Suqur al Sahara citation needed Hezbollah Units 45 Strength9 000 12 000 fighters 42 46 5 000 Ariha area 20 1 000 Al Ghaab Plain 47 120 150 National Hospital 48 Casualties and losses221 killed SOHR claim 49 700 850 killed Syrian Army claim 50 51 52 53 325 killed and 300 captured or missing SOHR claim 54 55 56 100 killed Syrian Army claim 50 51 500 killed rebel claim 57 27 civilians killed 58 59 60 23 prisoners amp 3 friendly officers executed by the SAA and IRGC 58 61 20 executed opposition claim 62 200 soldiers and civilians in total were taken captive 63 The Northwestern Syria offensive April June 2015 dubbed by the rebels as the Battle of Victory 64 65 66 took place in the Idlib and Hama governorates during the Syrian Civil War The campaign consisted of a three pronged attack with the two main assaults spearheaded by Ahrar ash Sham al Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al Nusra and other Islamist factions under the banner of the Army of Conquest and the remaining attack force including collaboration with Free Syrian Army brigades 42 67 The commander of the FSA 13th Division stated that coordinating with other groups such as al Nusra Front did not mean they were aligned with them 2 Within days the rebels captured the city of Jisr al Shughur and later on an Army base 64 The success of the campaign was attributed to better coordination between the Syrian opposition s backers 68 69 Still the operation resulted in a high attrition rate for both sides 64 Contents 1 Background 2 The offensive 2 1 Rebel capture of Jisr al Shughur 2 2 Syrian Army counter offensive 2 3 Renewed rebel advance and capture of Ariha 2 4 Fighting for the Ariha Latakia highway 3 Aftermath Syrian Army retreat from the Jisr al Shugur area 4 Strategic analysis 5 Reactions 5 1 Domestic reaction 5 2 International reaction 6 See also 7 ReferencesBackground editMain article Second Battle of Idlib On 24 March 2015 the newly established Army of Conquest assaulted Idlib city from three sides 70 71 and after four days of fighting the rebels captured the city and managed to besiege the towns of Kafarya and al Fu a 72 The rebels then attacked the Mastouma military camp south of the city but their attack was repelled 73 During the following days the Syrian Army launched an offensive on the nearby town of Ariha 74 and seized three villages 75 76 77 The offensive editRebel capture of Jisr al Shughur edit nbsp Ahrar ash Sham fighters in Jisr al ShughurOn 22 April 78 rebels organised by the newly created Battle of Victory operations room launched an offensive against the de facto provincial capital of Idlib governorate Jisr al Shughur threatening to cut off government access to a major highway linking Idlib to Latakia 79 Other objectives in this offensive were the Brick Factory base Al Qarmeed near Mastouma and the Al Ghaab Plain in Hama governorate 80 where FSA units were tasked with spearheading the cutting of Syrian Arab Army supply lines from the west 42 An al Nusra Front suicide bomber detonated a VBIED near the Brick Factory 81 marking the beginning of the operation 82 A BMP packed with explosives was also detonated at a checkpoint in the north of Jisr al Shughur 83 At the end of 23 April despite contradictory statements Jisr al Shughur was still under control by government troops citation needed Al Nusra claimed to had sent 15 suicide bombers into the city as part of the assault 84 Meanwhile in the Al Ghaab Plain a rebel attack on the village of Sirmaniyah was repelled 85 A car bomb was detonated in the Sirmaniyah area as well 83 By the next day rebels had captured one checkpoint near the Mastouma base 86 and four checkpoints around Jisr al Shughur 79 but clashes still continued at a distance of 2 4 km near of the city 87 88 The rebels reportedly also advanced near the city s sugar plant 89 and captured a hill near the Brick Factory base 80 However the Syrian Army claimed that it secured the city at the cost of 13 soldiers and denied that rebels advanced near the sugar plant 90 Later that day rebels captured the strategic Tal Hekmah checkpoint near the road between Jisr al Shughur and Ariha Meanwhile the Syrian Air Force conducted at least 40 airstrikes in Idlib 91 Later an opposition source reported that the rebels controlled the three highest points near the town of Furayqah Tal Muntar Tal Hamkah and Tal Mantaf but the road between Jisr al Shughur and Ariha was still not cut 92 93 However government reinforcements arrived and recaptured the Tal Hekmah checkpoint 94 95 According to the SOHR since the start of the offensive 43 rebels including 13 Chechens had been killed government casualties numbered 30 84 Meanwhile pro government sources placed the rebel death toll at 100 85 with 47 soldiers dying as well 96 Throughout the first few days of the offensive FSA brigades such as Fursan al Haq and the 1st Coastal Division including notable gunner Osama Abo Hamza used anti tank TOW missiles against a number of SAA armored vehicles in the al Ghaab Plain 42 67 nbsp The National Hospital where the government loyalists were besieged by rebelsEarly on 25 April rebels captured the sugar plant 97 and later a VBIED was detonated at the Ayn Sibeel checkpoint 98 before an al Nusra Front led rebel force captured most of the city with fighting continuing and air strikes hitting rebel positions 99 100 The national hospital and one checkpoint specifically remained under government control at this point 101 as clashes continued in the southwestern part of the city 102 Meanwhile the Syrian Army claimed that it had captured the village of Kurin 103 Soon after rebels fully secured Jisr al Shughur 104 except for the hospital where soldiers were still holed up 43 105 Clashes also still continued in the vicinity of the city from the south and east 60 bodies of government fighters were reportedly seen on the streets 104 During the SAA s retreat Syrian Army intelligence executed 23 prisoners at the hospital before withdrawing 58 106 The Syrian Air Force launched 30 airstrikes around the city after its fall 107 After the seizure of Jisr al Shughur rebels captured five villages in the Al Ghaab Plain 18 and seized the village of Eshtabraq near Jisr al Shughur 108 while 27 people including 20 rebels were killed by airstrikes on the captured city 58 109 The next day Syrian troops reportedly recaptured the sugar plant 43 and were fighting at the entrance to the city citation needed with one report putting the clashes at around 5 kilometers south of Jisr al Shughur 110 Military sources also reported the SAA recapturing a village in the Al Ghaab Plain 111 and opening a corridor from the sugar plant to the soldiers besieged at the hospital in Jisr al Shughur 43 nbsp Al Nusra Front fighters in Jisr al ShughurOn 27 April rebels captured the Qarmeed Brick Factory base after launching two suicide attacks After hours of intense clashes Syrian troops were forced to retreat after the main facility caught on fire 19 soldiers were killed while the Syrian Army claimed to have killed 60 80 rebels 112 Pro opposition activist Cedric Labrousse reported that more than 90 were killed on both sides 113 while the SOHR reported 10 rebel deaths at the base including the two suicide bombers and seven tanks six cannons and a large quantity of ammunition being seized by the rebels 114 115 Three SAA tanks were reportedly destroyed as well 116 After the fall of the Brick Factory base 14 airstrikes struck the area 59 Later the SAA recaptured the village of Ghaniyah in the Al Ghaab Plains 19 12 while three other villages were contested 21 During the day al Nusra Front used American made TOW missiles against Hezbollah positions 11 The SAA also recaptured a village at Jisr al Shughur but lost it again two days later 117 As of 28 April rebels besieged the hospital where soldiers were still continuing to fight 118 On the same day a military source reported that Syrian government troops launched a counterattack on the Brick Factory in Idlib 119 Video footage emerged of Col Hassan conducting a phone call to Damascus pleading for reinforcements while surrounded by his troops 120 According to Elijah J Magnier from the AL RAI newspaper Damascus had given the order to retake Jisr al Shughur at all costs 121 Meanwhile rebels blew up a bridge in an attempt to block Hama based government fighters from reaching Jisr al Shughur 122 On 29 April rebels seized the Musbin area which links Ariha and Saraqeb 123 A military source confirmed the loss of the Musbin Quarry but asserted that the SAA was still in control of the village and its hill A fourth rebel attack in four days against the hospital was also repelled 117 nbsp Situation in Idlib Governorate late April 2015On 1 May al Nusra Front carried out a suicide bomb attack on the government garrison inside the national hospital 124 By the end of the day the hospital was still under control by government troops 125 The clashes around the hospital left 14 al Nusra fighters and dozens of government soldiers dead and wounded 126 By this point around 5 000 soldiers were holed up at the Mastouma military base east of Ariha in Ariha itself and on the hills surrounding it The FSA Falcons of al Gab unit blew up three bridges in an attempt to prevent their potential retreat and used TOW missiles supplied by the United States specifically for this operation 20 Syrian Army counter offensive edit On 2 May SAA units backed by Hezbollah launched a counter attack 127 and recaptured three villages in the al Ghaab Plain 20 Al Misheek Al Ziyarah and Tall Waset 128 129 130 The clashes resulted in the death of at least five rebels and five Hezbollah fighters 131 Military sources additionally stated that Syrian government troops seized a part of Qastoun 129 The aim of the counter offensive was to hold and further reinforce supply routes towards Idlib province 127 The next day Syrian government troops advanced around Tall Ma er tab i 132 after an attempted rebel attack was repelled and captured the nearby Tall SyriaTel hill Government forces also reportedly advanced from Ghanya towards Eshtabraq 133 In addition the SAA started an operation to encircle the rebel held Al Sirmaniyah 134 On 4 May the seventh rebel attack in seven days on the National Hospital was repelled 135 Rebel forces continued attacking Ariha and Mastouma as well as Ankawi and Ghab in an attempt to cut off the M4 highway linking Latakia to Idlib and Aleppo forcing SAA units to defend a weak 30 mile W shaped defensive line 136 Rebels reportedly advanced in the Hosh Msibin and Bothayna areas after they destroyed two tanks 137 and recaptured Tal SyrianTel 138 On 6 May government forces launched an attack on the al Alawin checkpoint and rebels positions on the hills surrounding Frikka while the Syrian Air Force conducted more than 50 air raids in the area Government troops including non Syrian militia advanced in this area 14 139 Meanwhile rebels claimed to have captured the last hill near Ariha Tal Ma ar Tab i 140 while the Syrian Arab Army stated the rebel attack on the hill was repelled before nightfall 141 On 7 May the Syrian Army claimed the Tiger Forces managed to recapture the sugar plant near Jisr al Shughur after seizing the village of Qarta 141 Also 20 airstrikes were reported while the rebels managed to destroy two tanks and another vehicle during clashes around al Alawin checkpoint and Frikka hills 142 where it was later reported by the military that the Army captured both the al Alawin checkpoint and Malta Hill 143 According to the SOHR 14 government soldiers and officers including the Syrian Brigadier General Kemal Dib were killed in Jisr al Shughur 144 145 The next day government forces were confirmed to had seized three points between the al Alawin checkpoint and Frikka hills while 24 airstrikes were reported 146 Two of the locations were the villages of Frikka Al Abeed and Sheikh Elias 19 while the third was reportedly Al Karnaza citation needed On 9 May government forces advanced towards Jisr al Shughur in an attempt to break the siege of the 250 soldiers and family members including high ranking officers at the National Hospital and came within two kilometers of the hospital 147 148 They also reportedly captured Tal Hataab near Frikka 19 149 amid 20 airstrikes in the region 150 On 10 May the rebels launched a new assault on the National Hospital after a second car bomb was detonated 151 Rebels managed to enter one of the hospital buildings during the assault but their attack was repelled 152 153 while the Air Force conducted 33 airstrikes throughout the area 154 of which 22 were around the hospital 155 The Syrian Army advanced towards the town 156 but their push towards Jisr al Shughur hospital was temporarily halted and the rebels managed to recapture three checkpoints 157 before they were pushed back again during the fighting that continued early into the next day The clashes at the hospital and attacks on the relief column left 40 rebels and 32 soldiers dead 158 Elsewhere the SAA captured Al Mushayrafat and its hill Tal Sheikh Al Khataab north of Frikka 159 160 At the same time rebels took the Zeizun thermal plant in the al Ghaab plain after damaging several government vehicles 161 Later during the night rebel forces were forced to retreat from the plant but were still in control of the nearby village of Zeizun 162 The thermal plant sustained severe damage during the fighting 163 On 11 May clashes continued in and around the hospital and near the sugar plant where rebels destroyed a tank and government forces recaptured two checkpoints 14 airstrikes struck rebel positions throughout the day 164 165 On the same day around 20 rebels from the FSA s 101st Division were killed after a failed attack on the village of Kafr Najd near Ariha 166 Renewed rebel advance and capture of Ariha edit As of 12 May rebels were still holding a part of the hospital while the fighting continued in and around it and near the sugar factory 60 Rebels retreated from the village of Sanqarah after temporally seizing it at dawn 167 and claimed to have killed at least 20 soldiers in the hit and run attack 168 Rebels also attacked and captured al Kufayr village 51 Meanwhile opposition sources claimed that the Syrian Brigadier General Abdel Razak Abu Khader Raml was killed 169 At the end of the day the rebels launched an assault against the village of Musbin near Mastouma and Jabal al Arbaeen area near Ariha after a tunnel bomb was detonated under the al Fanar military checkpoint 170 171 Rebels captured the Jabal al Arbaeen area 172 and Musbin while at least 17 soldiers including three commanders and 11 rebel fighters including three leaders were killed 173 However government forces were able to recapture one checkpoint overlooking Ariha overnight but eventually retreated after rebels launched a second attack the next day 174 According to a military source Musbin was still contested and rebels were not in full control 51 On 14 May government forces recaptured the village of al Kufayr 51 175 while Brig Gen Kemal Dib 176 and Maj Gen Muheiddeine Mansour were killed in and near Jisr al Shughur 36 A suicide car bomb was destroyed near the hospital before it could reach the complex 177 At the end of the day rebels recaptured large parts of Al Mushayrafat with fighting for the village continuing 160 The next day government forces reportedly managed to recapture the al Fanar checkpoint near Ariha but were unable to hold al Kufayr which they regained 24 hours earlier and had to abandon it once again due to heavy rebel presence in the surrounding hills 178 On 17 May according to an opposition source more than 2 500 rebels attacked Mastouma and the nearby Ba ath military camp citation needed During the attack an VBIED was detonated near the military camp while rebels captured al Moqbili village and advanced in Mastouma where they captured at least 10 checkpoints 179 and Mastouma hill Meanwhile the Syrian army claimed to have advanced towards Kufayr 52 On 19 May after several days of violent clashes rebels took control of Al Mastumah its military camp which was the largest remaining Army base in Idlib in government hands and Nihlaya after the SAA retreated towards Ariha 180 181 Syrian Army defenses disintegrated making Ariha endangered from the northern axis 182 A spokesman for Ahrar al Sham claimed that the SAA had already begun withdrawing from Ariha as well 183 Government forces reportedly destroyed all warehouses with arms and ammunition before they retreated 184 with opposition media showing what it claimed to be footage of several destroyed and overturned army vehicles littered with dead bodies after a convoy of retreating government troops was interdicted 185 The clashes led to the death of 16 rebels and 15 government fighters while others were captured and the destruction of a number of armored vehicles including tanks 186 Several rebel attacks on Kafr Najd were repelled later that day 187 188 On 21 May rebels advanced towards Ariha 189 The next day at 8 00 am 190 an estimated 150 500 government forces attempted a breakout at the besieged hospital in broad daylight and fled towards the government controlled area south of Jisr al Shughur Some were killed wounded and captured under withering opposition fire 191 with 3 generals and a colonel killed or captured en route 38 Rebels claimed to have killed 208 192 and captured 65 government fighters during the retreat 193 with figures given of not more than a dozen to 55 surviving 22 Meanwhile pro government sources reported that 127 soldiers out of the garrison of 170 had successfully escaped 194 Journalist Robert Fisk found that far less than half of those who retreated from the National Hospital reached safety with some subsequently dying of their wounds after reaching government lines 195 Syrian State TV declared the retreat a victory amid congratulations by most government supporters while some voiced criticism 22 The Syrian Air Force conducted at least 22 airstrikes that day while the SAA attempted to advance towards Jisr al Shughur Opposition forces took the hospital later that day 196 As of 23 May SOHR documented the death of 261 Syrian soldiers and pro government militia including 90 officers one Major General 11 Brigadier Generals 11 Colonels and three Lieutenant Colonels since the beginning of the offensive in and near Jisr al Shughur 54 Syrian state television claimed that the armed forces killed at least 300 rebels and wounded hundreds others during a Syrian Army operation to free troops in the hospital 53 On the same day the Syrian troops attacked the rebel held the village of Sirmaniyyah in the al Ghab plain 197 198 nbsp Situation in Idlib Governorate late May 2015On 28 May rebels began a large assault on Ariha and were able to enter the eastern districts of the city whilst fierce fighting continued near the town 199 200 Several hours later opposition forces captured Ariha and Kafr Najd as government troops retreated towards Urum al Jawz and Muhambal on the Ariha Jisr al Shughur Highway 15 201 In the evening the rebels also captured Ma taram 202 At least 31 government forces were killed that day including 13 soldiers who were executed by the rebels 55 The next day rebels captured the villages of Orm al Joz and Ein Orm al Joz 203 Fighting for the Ariha Latakia highway edit On 4 June the Army recaptured the villages of Tal A our Al Zayadiyah and Sararif 204 and the hills of Tall Ghazal and Tall al Sahan 205 The next day the Syrian Army advanced and seized the areas of Marj al Zohour and the Zayzoun Dam near the administrative border between Idlib and Hama 206 On the same day the rebels launched a large scale attack on the Sheikh Ali hill area and gained ground in the Basanqul forest 206 and eventually captured the hill itself 207 In addition the rebels captured five villages near Basanqul 17 On 6 June the rebels captured Basanqul 208 and Mahambel 209 The rebels continued advancing that day and captured two checkpoints west of Mahambel including the largest remaining barrier in Idlib 210 According to the SOHR the Syrian Army lost 11 tanks and armoured vehicles during the new rebel assault 206 209 The fighting killed 32 soldiers and 13 rebels according to SOHR 56 By the end of 6 June an Ahrar al Sham spokesman claimed that the Army of Conquest controlled about 99 of Idlib province 211 On 8 June the SAAF conducted airstrikes on the village of al Janodia which reportedly killed 49 civilians 212 while Iranian officers were reported to had executed three Syrian Arab Army officers who retreated from the Mahambel and Basanqul checkpoints 61 nbsp Situation in Idlib Governorate mid June 2015On 13 June the rebels launched an assault on the remaining government held positions in Idlib with the SOHR reporting that they captured Al Mushayrifah Jannat al Qura and Tal Sheikh Khattab along the highway 213 although those locations were reported captured more than two weeks earlier 16 Rebels also advanced in the Sarafif area which was recaptured by the Syrian Army on 4 June 213 On that day one of the two bodyguards of Col Suheil Al Hassan died of his wounds after being shot by a rebel sniper 214 By the next day the Syrian Army had regained control over the areas it lost on the previous day after the rebels retreated under heavy airstrikes and shelling 215 Aftermath Syrian Army retreat from the Jisr al Shugur area editOn 28 July rebels launched an assault to capture the remaining areas surrounding Jisr al Shugur Two hours later rebels had captured the strategic hills of Tal Khattab Tal Awar and Tal Hamka along with the towns of Frikka Mushayrafah Salat Al Zuhour and Zayzoun The Army retreated to the south in order to reinforce its positions at Tall Wassit and Tall Sheikh Elyas 216 The Army responded with 160 airstrikes and dozens of shells and missiles According to the SOHR about 90 government fighters were killed or wounded during the assault while 37 rebels 15 non Syrian including a Jordanian leader were killed 217 However three days later the Syrian Army recaptured Ziyadia and Zezoun including its power station In addition they captured the towns of Khirbat al Naqus and Mansoura and its surrounding areas The advances came after the Air Force had conducted more than 270 air strikes on rebel positions over four days The fighting had left 39 combatants dead 218 including 20 soldiers and 19 rebels 219 Strategic analysis editThe Jisr al Shughur offensive has been described as one of the largest and most ambitious operations of the Syrian civil war consisting of some 40 opposition groups with the main goal being to outflank and interdict Col Suheil Al Hassan s Tiger forces who were sent to attempt to push back against the 2015 Idlib offensive which followed the opposition victory at the Second Battle of Idlib 42 According to Stratfor the potential cutting off by opposition forces of the Idlib salient where the 11th Armor Division and the Tiger Forces found themselves isolated would perhaps result in an even bigger catastrophe for the Syrian Arab Army 220 The deployment of elite government forces such as the Tiger Forces and the Desert Falcons to Idlib from other fronts was viewed by Stratfor as a mistake that left the government highly vulnerable in the eastern part of Homs province 221 Opposition forces were widely reported to be planning to move on the government s stronghold of Latakia following the capture of Jisr al Shughur 222 223 224 225 226 The reopening of the Latakia front was a focus at the time of Saudi Arabian policy to unite opposition factions 227 Analyst Charles Lister of the Brookings Doha Centre stated that For the opposition as a whole it would open up the route into Latakia from Idlib and Hama which could significantly enhance any future offensive on Latakia That would be very dangerous for the regime adding that the seizing of Jisr al Shughur should be seen as part of a bigger strategy 228 An Ahrar al Sham spokesperson stated Jisr al Shughour is more important than Idlib itself it is very close to the coastal area which is a regime area the coast now is within our fire reach 229 As rebels advanced in early June along the Idlib Latakia highway fighting intensified in the Latakia District near the Jabal al Akrad mountain range that overlooks Alawite villages close to Qardaha the ancestral home of the Assad family 230 After recent rebel victories against the government some people began to fear a scenario where hardline rebels would swarm Damascus in the near future despite government reassurances 231 AL RAI Chief International Correspondent Elijah J Magnier reported that Syria was heading towards partition after recent events in Idlib 232 Jane s Information Group stated that the offensive threatened to show president Bashar al Assad as incapable even of protecting the coastal mountain areas where the Alawites his core support base are concentrated and speculated Iran would not see him as the primary keeper of their interests in Syria 233 In early June a Syrian security source reported that thousands of Iranian and Iraqi fighters were being assembled t he goal is to reach 10 000 men to support the Syrian army and pro government militias firstly in Damascus and then to retake Jisr al Shughur because it is key to the Mediterranean coast and the Hama region This came days after Iranian Quds force general Qasem Soleimani pledged that In the coming days the world will be surprised by what we are preparing in cooperation with Syrian military leaders 234 yet Soleimani was reported to be infuriated that his remarks were leaked by a Syrian official in an attempt to boost morale 235 The SOHR reported the arrival of 6 000 fighters from Iraq Iran and Afghanistan 56 Reactions editDomestic reaction edit nbsp Syria On 28 April 2015 Syria accused Turkey of providing military and logistic support to al Nusra in their attack on Idlib 236 with Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem describing the situation in Idlib as having Zionist American sponsorship 237 International reaction edit nbsp Iran Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was reportedly furious with Syrian military commanders when arriving in Syria to assess the opposition gains in Idlib Why are your heads down The people of Syria have been paying their taxes to pay your wages for precisely such a day so that you defend them against a band of evil beasts Why have you lost your nerve now he is reported to have berated them 235 See also edit nbsp Asia portalSinjar massacre November 2015 Sinjar offensive Siege of Kobani Al Hasakah offensive February March 2015 Salahuddin campaign 2014 15 Second Battle of Tikrit March April 2015 Anbar offensive 2015 Qalamoun offensive May June 2015 Palmyra offensive May 2015 Al Hasakah offensive May 2015 Tell Abyad offensive 2015 Battle of Al Hasakah June August 2015 2015 Ramadan attacks Syrian Kurdish Islamist conflict 2013 present Military intervention against ISIL American led intervention in Syria List of wars and battles involving ISIL Timeline of ISIL related eventsReferences edit Al Qaeda and allies form coalition to battle Syrian regime in Idlib Long War Journal 24 March 2015 Archived from the original on 20 June 2019 Retrieved 24 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2015 ISW Archived from the original on 27 May 2015 Retrieved 26 May 2015 pro regime forces were forced to flee the National Hospital south of Jisr al Shughour under heavy fire following the failure of a regime offensive to relieve the hospital which Assad publicly ordered himself Fisk Robert 4 June 2015 Syria civil war Meet the military commander who says his soldiers will not rest until every inch of war torn country is free of Islamist terrorists The Independent Archived from the original on 4 June 2015 Retrieved 4 June 2015 How Jordanians Came to Dominate al Nusra Front Al Akhbar English Archived from the original on 14 July 2015 Retrieved 29 June 2015 Elijah J Magnier ejmalrai 23 May 2015 JN leader amp Aleppo military admin Abu Ahmad killed n Jisr al Shoghour amp spoils of war at Hospital via LetteredOwl Tweet Retrieved 4 December 2015 via Twitter Charles Lister Charles Lister 24 April 2015 Powerful Ahrar al Sham military commander Abu al Hassan is coordinating the Jisr al Shughour 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في جسر الشغور بريف ادلب Tweet Retrieved 4 December 2015 via Twitter Rebels take Ariha from Assad The Daily Star Newspaper Lebanon Archived from the original on 29 May 2015 Retrieved 30 May 2015 Iran is taking over Assad s fight in crucial parts of Syria Business Insider Archived from the original on 10 June 2015 Retrieved 8 June 2015 a b Syria says Islamic State kills hundreds including children in Palmyra Reuters 24 May 2015 Archived from the original on 29 May 2015 Retrieved 24 May 2015 a b Leith Fadel 4 April 2015 Tiger Forces Arrive at Ariha Jaysh Al Fatah Tries to Enter Al Mastouma Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 8 May 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2015 a b Lucas Scott 23 May 2015 Syria Daily Assad Regime Tries To Turn Another Defeat Into Victory EA WorldView Archived from the original on 24 May 2015 Retrieved 23 May 2015 Rebels launch full on assault of Idlib city Syria Direct Archived from the original on 2 April 2015 Retrieved 28 March 2015 Two killed in IS claimed suicide blasts in Syria s Hama Yahoo News Mark markito0171 3 May 2015 Ali Shalli Shabiha leader of N W rural Hama 7 other prom leaders trapped in National Hospital Jisr al Shughour Tweet Retrieved 5 May 2015 via Twitter a b c d e f g In Syria the Stakes Are High for a Rebel Offensive Stratfor 24 April 2015 Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2015 a b c d Leith Fadel 26 April 2015 Update from Jisr Al Shughour Fierce Clashes at the National Hospital Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 27 April 2015 Retrieved 28 April 2015 Leith Fadel 26 March 2015 Complete Field Report from Idlib City Islamist Groups Fail to Progress Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 27 March 2015 Retrieved 26 March 2015 a b c d White Jeffrey Abdulhamid Alrifai Oula 27 April 2015 Growing Rebel Capabilities Press the Syrian Regime The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Archived from the original on 1 May 2015 Retrieved 28 April 2015 هجوم مستمر لجبهة النصرة وفصائل إسلامية على جنوب مدينة إدلب ومحيط جسر الشغور Syrian Observatory For Human Rights Archived from the original on 26 April 2015 Retrieved 24 April 2015 sohranas A video shows Soheil al Hasan receiving orders from Bashar al Assad directly Syrian Observatory For Human Rights Archived from the original on 4 May 2015 Retrieved 5 May 2015 AFP com Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 Retrieved 13 May 2015 43 killed 23 24 April 1 Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 22 killed 25 April 2 Archived 27 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine 3 Archived 27 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine 19 killed 26 April 4 Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1 killed 28 April 5 Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 14 killed 1 May 6 Archived 2 May 2015 at archive today 5 killed 2 May 7 Archived 4 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 40 killed 10 May 8 20 killed 11 May Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine 11 killed 12 May 9 Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 3 killed 14 May 10 Archived 14 May 2015 at archive today 16 killed 19 May 11 Archived 22 May 2015 at archive today 3 killed 23 May 12 Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine 4 killed 25 May 13 Archived 4 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1 killed 26 May 14 Archived 30 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1 killed 28 May 15 Archived 29 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 5 killed 29 May 16 Archived 29 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine 13 killed 5 June 17 total of 221 reported killed a b Leith Fadel 30 April 2015 Complete Report from Jisr Al Shughour Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 4 May 2015 Retrieved 5 May 2015 a b c d e Leith Fadel 14 May 2015 Syrian Armed Forces Capture Al Kufayr Near Jisr Al Shughour Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 19 May 2015 Retrieved 22 May 2015 a b Leith Fadel 18 May 2015 Jabhat Al Nusra Storms the Village of Al Mastoumah in Idlib Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 20 May 2015 Retrieved 22 May 2015 a b 300 insurgents killed in air raids to break siege of Jisr 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rebels attack on areas in Sahl al Ghab and Jeser al Shohour Syrian Observatory For Human Rights Archived from the original on 8 September 2015 Retrieved 6 August 2015 Syrian army advances on plain after rebel offensive monitor Reuters August 2015 Archived from the original on 4 August 2015 Retrieved 6 August 2015 Syria army pushes back rebels near regime heartland monitor ReliefWeb Archived from the original on 20 August 2015 Retrieved 6 August 2015 Rebel Forces Make Gains in Syria Stratfor 28 April 2015 Archived from the original on 5 May 2015 Retrieved 28 April 2015 It is critical for the regime to secure the supply lines into isolated and besieged loyalist held territory in Idlib where the remnants of the 11th Armored Division and the Tiger Forces are located The next days will determine if the regime can succeed in saving its loyalist forces in Idlib from an even bigger catastrophe Understanding the Strategic Shift in Syria Stratfor 29 May 2015 Archived from the original on 30 May 2015 Retrieved 30 May 2015 Earlier in the conflict Damascus removed its forces from Homs province and deployed them against the growing rebel threat of Jaish al Fateh in the Idlib Province The redeployment which transferred the elite Tiger Forces and Desert Falcons away from the Islamic State s area of operations will now be seen as a mistake The elite forces have been unable to halt rebel advances in Idlib and their departure from Homs has left the government highly vulnerable on its eastern flank Syria conflict Islamists capture Jisr al Shughur BBC News 25 April 2015 Archived from the original on 26 April 2015 Retrieved 26 April 2015 BBC World Service Middle East analyst Sebastian Usher says that if the rebels can drive the government completely out of Idlib province they would open the way to Latakia Solomon Erika 25 April 2015 Syrian rebels capture Jisr al Shughour Financial Times Archived from the original on 26 April 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2015 Rebel control of the town threatens supply lines to the few remaining government strongholds in northern Idlib province and could aid rebel advances east toward Syria s second city Aleppo or south toward the central city of Hama El Deeb Sarah 25 April 2015 Syria rebels take strategic northwestern town in Idlib province government retaliates U S News amp World Report AP Archived from the original on 25 April 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2015 If they can hold the town of Jisr al Shughour in Idlib province rebel fighters from Islamic factions will have gained in only a few days a gateway to the Mediterranean coast a refuge of embattled President Bashar Assad and cut government supply lines from the coast to northern and central Syria Islamist rebels capture major Syrian stronghold in Idlib province DW 25 April 2015 Archived from the original on 25 April 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2015 The city lies between Latakia and the nation s largest city Aleppo and will give fighters access to a possible route to launch an assault on government held Latakia Al Qaeda allies overrun Syria government holdout in Idlib The Economic Times 25 April 2015 Archived from the original on 26 April 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2015 The rebels launched their attack on Jisr al Shughur on Thursday seeking to capitalise on their capture of the provincial capital last month and open up a strategic assault route to the regime s stronghold on the Mediterranean coast Ingram Jamie 21 April 2015 Saudi Arabia s efforts to co ordinate Sunni opposition groups in Syria are likely to result in heightened fighting in Aleppo and Latakia Jane s 360 Archived from the original on 5 July 2015 Retrieved 26 April 2015 Extremist Syrian rebels close in on Assad stronghold The National AFP 25 April 2015 Archived from the original on 2 May 2015 Retrieved 26 April 2015 For the opposition as a whole it would open up the route into Latakia from Idlib and Hama which could significantly enhance any future offensive on Latakia said Charles Lister a visiting fellow at Brookings Doha Centre and a Syria specialist That would be very dangerous for the regime Karouny Mariam 25 April 2015 Islamist fighters seize Syria s Jisr al Shughour army says redeploys Reuters Retrieved 26 April 2015 Jisr al Shughour is more important than Idlib itself it is very close to the coastal area which is a regime area the coast now is within our fire reach Ahmad from Ahrar al Sham said Al Khalidi Suleiman 6 June 2015 Idlib gains bring Syrian rebels closer to Assad s coastal homeland Reuters Retrieved 6 June 2015 Fear stalks Damascus after jihadist gains al Monitor 27 April 2015 Archived from the original on 13 July 2015 Retrieved 28 April 2015 Elijah J Magnier ejmalrai 28 April 2015 From what I have seen in the events in Syria recently for the first time I think Syria can likely head toward partition no trolls please Tweet Retrieved 29 April 2015 via Twitter Abi Ali Firas 27 April 2015 Syrian opposition success in Idlib province likely to threaten Aleppo Latakia and Assad s hold on power IHS Jane s 360 Archived from the original on 20 May 2015 Retrieved 29 April 2015 Its capture Jisr al Shughour threatens to show Syrian president Bashar al Assad as incapable even of protecting the coastal mountain areas where the Alawites his core support base are concentrated This in turn makes it likely that Iranians will no longer see Assad as the best guarantor of their interests in Syria Siegel Jacob 5 June 2015 The Myth of Iran s Military Mastermind The Daily Beast Archived from the original on 6 June 2015 Retrieved 5 June 2015 a b Philp Catherine Tomlinson Hugh 9 June 2015 Iran sends men and arms to shore up retreating Assad The Times Archived from the original on 9 June 2015 Retrieved 9 June 2015 Qassem Soleimani Iran s powerful spy chief visited Latakia the ancestral heartland of President Assad s Alawite minority last month to assess the situation after rebels advanced on the border with the neighbouring Idlib province Iranian military sources said that General Soleimani the commander of the elite al Quds force of Iran s Revolutionary Guard was furious at the despondency he encountered among the Syrian military s top brass Why are your heads down he was reported to have demanded The people of Syria have been paying their taxes to pay your wages for precisely such a day so that you defend them against a band of evil beasts Why have you lost your nerve now Elijah J Magnier ejmalrai 28 April 2015 Damascus accuses officially Ankara for helping Nusra to attack Idlib providing military and logistic support Syria Turkey Tweet Retrieved 4 May 2015 via Twitter Mozes N Ezrahi E 1 May 2015 As Saudi Turkish Qatari Relations Improve Possibility Of Decisive Storm Type Operation In Syria Emerges MEMRI Archived from the original on 3 May 2015 Retrieved 4 May 2015 35 48 00 N 36 19 00 E 35 8000 N 36 3167 E 35 8000 36 3167 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Northwestern Syria offensive April June 2015 amp oldid 1172145990, 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