fbpx
Wikipedia

As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018)

January 01, 1970

As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018)
Part of the Syrian Civil War and Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
Date6 August – 19 November 2018[6][7][8]
(3 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Location
Suwayda and Rif Dimashq Governorates, Syria
Status

Syrian government victory

  • Syrian Army captures the Al-Suwayda part of the ISIL enclave[9]
  • Syrian Army captures peak of the volcanic Al-Safa plateau on 17 November[10]
Belligerents

 Syria

 Russia (since 5 October)[1]
Hezbollah[2][3]
SSNP[4]
Palestine Liberation Army
Mountain Brigade[5]		  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Commanders and leaders
Brig. Gen. Suhail Abbas (WIA)[11]
Mohammad Sahlab ("Abu Ali") †[12]
Brig. Gen. Walid Mari al-Kurdi †[13][14][15]		 Abu Hajer Al-Shishani †[16][17]
Units involved

Syrian Armed Forces

Russian Armed Forces

Eagles of the Whirlwind
Mountain Brigade

  • Rocks of Urman Battalion[5]
 Military of ISIL
Strength
Unknown 1,000–1,200[20]
Casualties and losses
245 killed (per SOHR)[21] 428 killed(per SOHR)[21]

The As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018) began on 6 August 2018, in rural areas of the Suwayda Governorate in southeast Syria after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) members committed a string of suicide bombings and gun attacks.[22]

The offensive edit

The Syrian Arab Army began an offensive on eastern Suwayda on 6 August 2018, around 16:00 (EET) after building up its forces in the area for several days. With its elite 4th Division at the head, the Syrian Arab Army succeeded in making progress in the eastern Badiya Desert after an intense battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during that afternoon.[23]

The Syrian Arab Army continued on the following day with field operations in the eastern neighboring province of Suwayda, on the large pocket of ISIL near the Homs border. At the head of their fourth armored division, the Syrian Arab Army started the day by attacking the Shinvan and Al-Sakiiah areas held by ISIL.[24] On 7 August, the pro-Government Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) captured and hanged a fighter of ISIL after one of his comrades executed a suicide bombing that killed at least four SSNP members.[25] On 8 August, Syrian forces continued to expel ISIL from the desert east of Suwayda in an attempt to recover the entire pocket. According to military sources, the Syrian Army, with the support of local fighters, managed to achieve further progress on several fronts; it reached the periphery of the towns of Qaisoum and Bir Maselam. The same source said that government troops were infiltrating about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the cities of Rami and Shabka where ISIL committed a massacre on 25 July, when the group launched a sudden attack on several villages and towns east of Suwayda and slaughtered more than 200 civilians, and injured several hundred others.[26]

Siege of al-Safa edit

On 16 August, ISIL asked for a ceasefire with the Syrian Army.[27] ISIL offered to release the kidnapped civilians from the Sweida Governorate in exchange for safe passage to the Al-Mayadeen countryside in rural Deir Ezzor.[28] The Syrian Arab Army told the Islamic State that they will not accept anything other than a complete surrender of this mountain and the release of the 30+ civilians that were kidnapped by their fighters.[29] The Syrian army sealed off the entire Al-Safa mountain on 23 August after several days of fighting.[28]

On 24 August, the Syrian Arab Army broke through the Islamic State’s defenses at the Khirbat Hawi area, which is located at the southwestern axis of the Al-Safa Mountain.[29] On 25 August, ISIL launched a counter-offensive and managed to drive back the Syrian Arab Army troops from several points they captured the previous day.[30] At 28–29 August, the Syrian Arab Army managed to regain all lost points, along with capturing others positions from ISIL, including a strategic water dam in the Hawi Awad area.[19][31]

On 25 September, in clashes with ISIL, Brigadier General Walid al-Kurdi in charge of the Palestinian Liberation Army's special forces was killed in the Safa Volcanic field.[13]

On 2 October, ISIL executed a Druze woman named Tharwat Abu Ammar, a hostage from the 25 July Suwayda attacks, threatening to kill a whole group of captive women and children within three days if Syrian Government forces didn't call off the al-Safa offensive and release ISIL prisoners.[32] Several Druze protestors in Suwayda, including several activists and religious leaders, rallied around a government building and demanded the government to work to release the captured Druze hostages. After a failure in talks with Russian officials, the Syrian Government and ISIL set up a committee to mediate between them.[33]

Hostages released edit

On 20 October, ISIL reached an agreement with Syrian and Russian officials to release 6 hostages in exchange of what was reportedly 27 million dollars, with continued talks, a prisoner exchange was also agreed upon between both parties in return for ISIL releasing all hostages. According to the Russian MOD, the Syrian Arab Army reportedly rescued all the remaining hostages held by ISIL on 8 November, in a special operation north-east of Palmyra under the guidance of Russian special operations forces from Russian Reconciliation Center. Some reports stated the possibility of Russian special forces being covertly deployed in the province of al-Suwayda in order to support the Syrian Army advance on ISIS positions in the al-Safa area.[34][35][36][37][38][39]

Syrian army reaches peak of Al-Safa edit

On 17 November, the Syrian army managed to overrun the ISIL defenses around the peak of Al-Safa and impose control of the hilltop, killing a Daesh commander named Abu Hajer Al-Shishani.[16] The territorial control of the Syrian army of the Al-Safa volcanic field increased to 80%, with ISIL still having a presence on the western axis and several sources saying ISIL fighters were withdrawing towards eastern Homs.[10]

The Syrian army officially declared the Al-Safa field cleared on 19 November, ending the offensive with the SAA in full control of all of southern Syria for the first time since 2011, excluding Al-Tanf.[40]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 5 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  2. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 9 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  3. ^ . Al-Masdar. 9 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Leith Aboufadel (18 June 2018). . al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (27 July 2018). "The Suwayda' Attacks: Interview". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. ^ . Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  7. ^ . Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  8. ^ After the deal of handing over the kidnapped people, hundreds of ISIS members vanish from Tlul al-Safa after 116 days of the deadliest attack ever in al-Suwaidaa
  9. ^ "After controlling its desert, al-Suwaidaa becomes the 5th province under the control of the regime forces completely and the fate of its kidnapped people after 19 days of detention is unknown". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b . Al-Masdar News. 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Brigadier General Suhail Abbas one of high-ranking officers in government campaign against ISIS in east Sweida was critically injured according to pro-government media Rushaydah".
  12. ^ a b ""Desert Samurai," Once Honored by Russian in Syria, Dead". Enab Baladi. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  13. ^ a b A Staff Brigadier General in Jaysh Al-Tahrir Al-Filastini and other members were killed in violent confrontations in the Syrian Desert on the border of Rif Dimashq and Al-Suwaidaa
  14. ^ . Syrian War Daily blog. 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Palestinian Factions Spearheading the Syrian Desert's Battles". October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  16. ^ a b . 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Syria claims it has killed ISIS commander in new offensive". Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  18. ^ Gregory Waters (12 March 2019). "Understanding Syria's Military Deployments in Idlib". International Review. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  19. ^ a b . Al Masdar. 29 August 2018. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  20. ^ . Al-Masdar. 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Since the meeting of the Russians with al-Aql Sheikhs until ISIS members vanished, about 510 civilians, regime forces' members and armed people of Al-Suwaidaa are victims of the mandatory conscription". SOHR. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Syria war: More than 200 dead in suicide attacks". BBC. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Masdar News – 6 August 2018". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 18 August 2018.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ . Al-Masdar. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  25. ^ . Al-Masdar. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  26. ^ . Al-Masdar. 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  27. ^ . Al Masdar. 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  28. ^ a b . Al Masdar. 23 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  29. ^ a b . Al Masdar. 24 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  30. ^ . Al Masdar. 25 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  31. ^ . Al Masdar. 29 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  32. ^ "ISIS execution of Druze woman enrages community". 3 October 2018.
  33. ^ Al-awsat, Asharq. "Syria: Sweida Tensions Rise After ISIS Executes Captive Young Woman". aawsat.com. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  34. ^ Frantzman, Seth J. (20 October 2018). "ISIS releases six Druze hostages". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  35. ^ "ISIS releases six of 27 Druze hostages in Syria". The National. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  36. ^ "Islamic State releases six Syrian hostages who were kidnapped in July". haaretz.com. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  37. ^ "ISIS 'releases six' of 27 Druze hostages in exchange for prisoner swap, ransom". Al Arabiya English. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  38. ^ . Time. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  39. ^ "Syria army frees IS hostages - state media". BBC News. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  40. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2018.

January 01, 1970
suwayda, offensive, august, november, 2018, part, syrian, civil, russian, military, intervention, syrian, civil, wardate6, august, november, 2018, months, week, days, locationsuwayda, dimashq, governorates, syriastatussyrian, government, victory, syrian, army,. As Suwayda offensive August November 2018 Part of the Syrian Civil War and Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil WarDate6 August 19 November 2018 6 7 8 3 months 1 week and 4 days LocationSuwayda and Rif Dimashq Governorates SyriaStatusSyrian government victory Syrian Army captures the Al Suwayda part of the ISIL enclave 9 Syrian Army captures peak of the volcanic Al Safa plateau on 17 November 10 Belligerents Syria Syrian Armed Forces Russia since 5 October 1 Hezbollah 2 3 SSNP 4 Palestine Liberation Army Mountain Brigade 5 Islamic State of Iraq and the LevantCommanders and leadersBrig Gen Suhail Abbas WIA 11 Mohammad Sahlab Abu Ali 12 Brig Gen Walid Mari al Kurdi 13 14 15 Abu Hajer Al Shishani 16 17 Units involvedSyrian Armed Forces Syrian Arab Army 4 Republican Guard Kadish forces 12 4th Armoured Division 18 1st Corps 5th Mechanized Division 9th Armoured Division 15th Special Forces Division 2nd Corps 19 1st Armoured Division 10th Mechanized Division 14th Special Forces Division 3rd Corps 3rd Armoured Division Syrian Air Force National Defense Force 4 Russian Armed Forces Aerospace Forces Eagles of the Whirlwind Mountain Brigade Rocks of Urman Battalion 5 Military of ISILStrengthUnknown1 000 1 200 20 Casualties and losses245 killed per SOHR 21 428 killed per SOHR 21 The As Suwayda offensive August November 2018 began on 6 August 2018 in rural areas of the Suwayda Governorate in southeast Syria after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL members committed a string of suicide bombings and gun attacks 22 Contents 1 The offensive 1 1 Siege of al Safa 1 2 Hostages released 1 3 Syrian army reaches peak of Al Safa 2 See also 3 ReferencesThe offensive editThis section relies largely or entirely on a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources Find sources As Suwayda offensive August November 2018 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2018 The Syrian Arab Army began an offensive on eastern Suwayda on 6 August 2018 around 16 00 EET after building up its forces in the area for several days With its elite 4th Division at the head the Syrian Arab Army succeeded in making progress in the eastern Badiya Desert after an intense battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL during that afternoon 23 The Syrian Arab Army continued on the following day with field operations in the eastern neighboring province of Suwayda on the large pocket of ISIL near the Homs border At the head of their fourth armored division the Syrian Arab Army started the day by attacking the Shinvan and Al Sakiiah areas held by ISIL 24 On 7 August the pro Government Syrian Social Nationalist Party SSNP captured and hanged a fighter of ISIL after one of his comrades executed a suicide bombing that killed at least four SSNP members 25 On 8 August Syrian forces continued to expel ISIL from the desert east of Suwayda in an attempt to recover the entire pocket According to military sources the Syrian Army with the support of local fighters managed to achieve further progress on several fronts it reached the periphery of the towns of Qaisoum and Bir Maselam The same source said that government troops were infiltrating about 20 kilometres 12 mi east of the cities of Rami and Shabka where ISIL committed a massacre on 25 July when the group launched a sudden attack on several villages and towns east of Suwayda and slaughtered more than 200 civilians and injured several hundred others 26 Siege of al Safa edit This section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information September 2018 On 16 August ISIL asked for a ceasefire with the Syrian Army 27 ISIL offered to release the kidnapped civilians from the Sweida Governorate in exchange for safe passage to the Al Mayadeen countryside in rural Deir Ezzor 28 The Syrian Arab Army told the Islamic State that they will not accept anything other than a complete surrender of this mountain and the release of the 30 civilians that were kidnapped by their fighters 29 The Syrian army sealed off the entire Al Safa mountain on 23 August after several days of fighting 28 On 24 August the Syrian Arab Army broke through the Islamic State s defenses at the Khirbat Hawi area which is located at the southwestern axis of the Al Safa Mountain 29 On 25 August ISIL launched a counter offensive and managed to drive back the Syrian Arab Army troops from several points they captured the previous day 30 At 28 29 August the Syrian Arab Army managed to regain all lost points along with capturing others positions from ISIL including a strategic water dam in the Hawi Awad area 19 31 On 25 September in clashes with ISIL Brigadier General Walid al Kurdi in charge of the Palestinian Liberation Army s special forces was killed in the Safa Volcanic field 13 On 2 October ISIL executed a Druze woman named Tharwat Abu Ammar a hostage from the 25 July Suwayda attacks threatening to kill a whole group of captive women and children within three days if Syrian Government forces didn t call off the al Safa offensive and release ISIL prisoners 32 Several Druze protestors in Suwayda including several activists and religious leaders rallied around a government building and demanded the government to work to release the captured Druze hostages After a failure in talks with Russian officials the Syrian Government and ISIL set up a committee to mediate between them 33 Hostages released edit On 20 October ISIL reached an agreement with Syrian and Russian officials to release 6 hostages in exchange of what was reportedly 27 million dollars with continued talks a prisoner exchange was also agreed upon between both parties in return for ISIL releasing all hostages According to the Russian MOD the Syrian Arab Army reportedly rescued all the remaining hostages held by ISIL on 8 November in a special operation north east of Palmyra under the guidance of Russian special operations forces from Russian Reconciliation Center Some reports stated the possibility of Russian special forces being covertly deployed in the province of al Suwayda in order to support the Syrian Army advance on ISIS positions in the al Safa area 34 35 36 37 38 39 Syrian army reaches peak of Al Safa edit On 17 November the Syrian army managed to overrun the ISIL defenses around the peak of Al Safa and impose control of the hilltop killing a Daesh commander named Abu Hajer Al Shishani 16 The territorial control of the Syrian army of the Al Safa volcanic field increased to 80 with ISIL still having a presence on the western axis and several sources saying ISIL fighters were withdrawing towards eastern Homs 10 The Syrian army officially declared the Al Safa field cleared on 19 November ending the offensive with the SAA in full control of all of southern Syria for the first time since 2011 excluding Al Tanf 40 See also edit nbsp Asia portal As Suwayda offensive June 2018 2018 Southern Syria offensive 2018 As Suwayda attacks List of wars and battles involving ISILReferences edit Russian Air Force launches first strikes over Syria in several days Al Masdar News 5 October 2018 Archived from the original on 6 October 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2018 Breaking Syrian Army Hezbollah impose fire control over ISIS stronghold in southeast Syria Al Masdar News 9 June 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 8 August 2018 Video footage of Syrian Army s new offensive against ISIS in southwest Syria Al Masdar 9 June 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 8 August 2018 a b c Leith Aboufadel 18 June 2018 In pictures SSNP forces crack ISIL s lines in southeast Syria al Masdar News Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 17 July 2018 a b Aymenn Jawad Al Tamimi 27 July 2018 The Suwayda Attacks Interview Retrieved 4 August 2018 Islamic State loses holdout in south Syria faces deadly air raids in east Archived from the original on 25 November 2018 Retrieved 25 November 2018 Graphic 18 Daesh corpses litter battlefield as Syrian troops liberate key region Archived from the original on 24 March 2019 Retrieved 25 November 2018 After the deal of handing over the kidnapped people hundreds of ISIS members vanish from Tlul al Safa after 116 days of the deadliest attack ever in al Suwaidaa After controlling its desert al Suwaidaa becomes the 5th province under the control of the regime forces completely and the fate of its kidnapped people after 19 days of detention is unknown Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 12 August 2018 Retrieved 18 August 2018 a b Syrian Army liberates most of Daesh s last bastion in southern Syria Al Masdar News 17 November 2018 Archived from the original on 25 February 2019 Retrieved 17 November 2018 Brigadier General Suhail Abbas one of high ranking officers in government campaign against ISIS in east Sweida was critically injured according to pro government media Rushaydah a b Desert Samurai Once Honored by Russian in Syria Dead Enab Baladi 1 September 2018 Retrieved 19 June 2021 a b A Staff Brigadier General in Jaysh Al Tahrir Al Filastini and other members were killed in violent confrontations in the Syrian Desert on the border of Rif Dimashq and Al Suwaidaa Syrian War Daily 25th of September 2018 Syrian War Daily blog 25 September 2018 Archived from the original on 1 April 2019 Retrieved 29 October 2018 Palestinian Factions Spearheading the Syrian Desert s Battles October 2018 Retrieved 1 October 2018 a b Last Daesh emir in southern Syria eliminated by Syrian Army 17 November 2018 Archived from the original on 31 March 2019 Retrieved 20 November 2018 Syria claims it has killed ISIS commander in new offensive Retrieved 20 November 2018 Gregory Waters 12 March 2019 Understanding Syria s Military Deployments in Idlib International Review Retrieved 22 March 2023 a b Breaking Syrian Army liberates last water source under ISIS control Al Masdar 29 August 2018 Archived from the original on 27 October 2018 Retrieved 29 August 2018 Syrian Army killed 288 Islamic State terrorists in 62 days monitor Al Masdar 26 September 2018 Archived from the original on 28 September 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2018 a b Since the meeting of the Russians with al Aql Sheikhs until ISIS members vanished about 510 civilians regime forces members and armed people of Al Suwaidaa are victims of the mandatory conscription SOHR 18 November 2018 Retrieved 18 November 2018 Syria war More than 200 dead in suicide attacks BBC 25 July 2018 Retrieved 26 July 2018 Masdar News 6 August 2018 Al Masdar News Retrieved 18 August 2018 permanent dead link Syrian Army attempts to crack ISIL s lines in east Sweida Al Masdar 7 August 2018 Archived from the original on 8 August 2018 Retrieved 18 August 2018 Graphic 18 Syrian forces in Sweida hang ISIS fighter after terrorist attack Al Masdar 7 August 2018 Archived from the original on 16 May 2019 Retrieved 18 August 2018 VIDEO Syrian Army seizes ISIS outpost in east Swaida Al Masdar 8 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 18 August 2018 ISIS asks for ceasefire in east Sweida as Syrian troops advance video Al Masdar 16 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 25 August 2018 a b Syrian Army cuts all supply lines to ISIL s last stronghold in southern Syria Al Masdar 23 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 25 August 2018 a b Syrian Army achieves major breakthrough against ISIS in southern Syria Al Masdar 24 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 25 August 2018 ISIS inflicts heavy casualties on Syrian troops as they launch major counter offensive in southern Syria Al Masdar 25 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 25 August 2018 Syrian Army kills over 15 ISIS terrorists after liberating new sites in southern Syria Al Masdar 29 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Retrieved 29 August 2018 ISIS execution of Druze woman enrages community 3 October 2018 Al awsat Asharq Syria Sweida Tensions Rise After ISIS Executes Captive Young Woman aawsat com Retrieved 29 October 2018 Frantzman Seth J 20 October 2018 ISIS releases six Druze hostages The Jerusalem Post JPost com Retrieved 29 October 2018 ISIS releases six of 27 Druze hostages in Syria The National Retrieved 29 October 2018 Islamic State releases six Syrian hostages who were kidnapped in July haaretz com 20 October 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2018 ISIS releases six of 27 Druze hostages in exchange for prisoner swap ransom Al Arabiya English 20 October 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2018 Syrian Army Liberates 19 Hostages Held by Islamic State Since July Time Archived from the original on 8 November 2018 Retrieved 20 November 2018 Syria army frees IS hostages state media BBC News 8 November 2018 Retrieved 20 November 2018 Daesh suffers devastating defeat as Syrian Army liberates entire Al Safa region Al Masdar News 19 November 2018 Archived from the original on 31 March 2019 Retrieved 20 November 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title As Suwayda offensive August November 2018 amp oldid 1215148928, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.