The offensive Al-Qusayr offensive

1 offensive

1.1 fighting in countryside
1.2 battle of al-qusayr
1.3 mopping-up operations

the offensive
fighting in countryside

map of offensive

on 11 april, syrian army, along large force of hezbollah fighters, attacked , captured strategic hilltop village of tell al-nabi mando rebel forces. fighting still continued next day described sporadic. 40 hezbollah militiamen , syrian soldiers killed in fierce battle hill. importance of tell al-nabi mando in strategic location. force controls tell al-nabi mando can fire on border villages in area. because of this, people pro-government villages fled after opposition had captured hill.

on 14 april, after warning lebanon retaliate hezbollah s participation on side of syrian government forces, rebels launched rocket attack on border against lebanese towns of hermel , al-qasr, killing 2 lebanese, including child, , injuring 6 others.

on 17 april, government bombardment of al-buwaydah al-sharqiyah killed @ least 12 people, including 2 women , 2 children. meanwhile, fighting raged on outskirts of town abil. opposition activists reported 700 hezbollah militiamen deployed in town of al-nazariyeh near al-qusayr.

on 18 april, fsa took control of al-dab air base near city of al-qusayr. base had no aircraft , being used garrison ground troops. meanwhile, syrian army took control on town of abel. sohr director described army takeover of town saying hamper rebel movements between al-qusayr , homs city. according him, capture of airport have relieved pressure on rebels in area, loss of abel made situation more complicated. 21 rebel fighters, including 1 commander, killed during fighting abel.

on 20 april, government , hezbollah troops captured village of radwaniyeh, tightening siege of al-qusayr. opposition activists stated coordination between military , hezbollah strong , hezbollah fighters provided air-cover during advance. hezbollah assault on burhaniya had started. fresh fighting reported @ tell al-nabi mando, other clashes raging in villages of saqraja , abu huri. 1 activist al-qusayr described situation bad government forces trying capture countryside around city, in order attack city itself.

on 21 april, burhaniya , saqraja captured in government advance , army secured road linking lebanese-syrian border along orontes river west of al-qusayr. @ same time, new round of rebel rocket strikes hit lebanese towns of hermel , al-qasr, in retaliation hezbollah participation in offensive. point, 8 villages had fallen government offensive. hezbollah forces advancing bekaa valley toward al-qusayr, while syrian army moving south homs in pincer movement.

on 22 april, fighting continued between rebels , hezbollah forces in other villages around al-qusayr. rebels alleged 18 hezbollah fighters killed in clashes. rebel commander claimed rebels recaptured villages of abou houri , al-mouh. however, there no independent confirmation.

on 23 april, more rebel rocket strikes hit lebanese town of hermel, syrian military source insisted capture of al-qusayr days away, @ .

by 24 april, front line had moved village of ayn al-tannur, few miles northwest of al-qusayr. government forces waiting until positions in villages west of orontes river reinforced before advanced on al-qusayr.

on 26 april, according sohr, heavy fighting took place on road homs coast. also, clashes ongoing in village of kamam, between homs , al-qusayr, rebels making attempts capture it.

on 29 april, 6 rockets syria hit macharih el-qaa in bekaa valley, in lebanon, injuring 1 person.

on 2 may, clash took place in jusiya area near lebanese border between rebels , syrian army, pro-government militiamen, include hezbollah members.

on 4 may, according sohr, orchard area surrounding al-qusayr seeing fighting between army , rebel forces. several parts of al-qusayr under bombardment. clashes left 5 rebels dead, including rebel commander. fighters hezbollah s elite forces participated in clashes , able take control of of villages surrounding city in previous days.

on 5 may, al-qusayr bombed army while fighting raged on edge of town. opposition snc called rebel reinforcements sent al-qusayr. iranian press tv reported military had captured last major rebel stronghold east of city, tal hanash, , completing encirclement of al-qusayr.

on 6 may, clash took place on edge of town of al-sloumiya , rocket fired syria towards lebanon fell on al-qasr in hermel, 6 others fell between dabbabiya , noura in akkar. fighting ongoing second day on outskirts of al-qusayr.

by 7 may, rebels stated in danger of losing al-qusayr after being swept surrounding villages.

on 8 may, heavy fighting continued in al-qusayr, mediation underway between government forces , local elements make rebels withdraw town although many still refusing leave. there unconfirmed reports hezbollah forces had massacred 30 people attempting leave city , taken bodies away.

on 9 may, syrian army took control of shumariyeh, near al-qusayr, , continued advance towards village of ghassaniyeh. meanwhile, 3 shells syria hit hermel, in lebanon, , 2 others fell on macharia al-qaa.

on 10 may, according military source, army dropped leaflets on city warning citizens evacuate al-qusayr ahead of assault. opposition activist, toured 2 villages on edge of town, denied stating no leaflets dropped. however, local resident lives near al-qusair confirmed leaflet drop. hezbollah shelling of city hit main water tank , filtration station. point, estimated 25,000 civilians remained in city. reported 3 lebanese rebel fighters killed in fighting in area , 36 missing.

on 11 may, rebels recaptured abel, potentially easing movements of opposition forces between al-qusayr , homs. however, military captured once again next day. during advance, syrian army managed break siege of christian village of ghassaniyeh. village besieged rebel forces 8 months.

on 13 may, government forces captured towns of damina al-gharbiyah, haidariyeh , ish al-warwar, north of al-qusayr, allowing them block supplies rebels in city. left 3 more targets military needed capture before reaching northern outskirts of al-qusayr, including al-dab air base rebels captured previous month, before surrounding city. army had secured southern , eastern approaches al-qusayr , force advancing west of town.

on 18 may, rebels ambushed hezbollah fighters along banks of assi river on syrian side of lebanese border while attempted enter syria. 10 hezbollah militiamen killed. still, next morning, new hezbollah force reportedly heading towards al-qusayr. on night of 18 19 may, heavy fighting raged between army , rebels around al-dab air base. army bombarded rebel-held village of boueida al-sharqiya.

battle of al-qusayr

on 19 may, after 2 days of calm, planes, artillery , mortars bombarded al-qusayr in hours of morning. later in day, government troops, backed-up hundreds of hezbollah militiamen, stormed city several directions. clashes @ 9 points in , around al-qusayr reported during day.

syrian troops entered center of city later in day, seizing town s main square , municipality building, military source said. 1 opposition activist denied government forces made gains, opposition activist confirmed army had captured municipality building , in control of 60% of city.

by second day of battle, state media claimed had restored stability in town s east, , still hunting remnants of terrorists in northern , eastern areas. opposition source reported fighting concentrated in northern part of city.

sohr said there conflicting reports whether or not syrian army fighting inside al-qusayr city, had reports confirmed gathering near western neighborhood of al-qusayr in order lay siege on city . thick black smoke seen direction of air base, north of city, government troops fought retake facility.

activists in qusayr claimed government , hezbollah forces had been pushed starting positions on outskirts of city, while fsa spokesman claimed government force s efforts enter city being blocked fsa. opposition activist once again reaffirmed government forces had captured municipality building , city center , had pushed out rebel units out of of al-qusayr. al jazeera reporter in beirut said seemed army had control of of town.

on third day of fighting, elite hezbollah reinforcements sent lebanon across border al-qusayr. sohr had confirmed, itself, first time fighting raging in city itself. clashes had spread border village of hit, 2 rebels killed , several wounded.

on 22 may, george sabra, president of snc, issued call reinforcements sent al-quasyr stating has weapons or ammunition should send them qusair , homs strengthen resistance . islamic tawheed brigade reportedly sent convoy of 30 vehicles al-quasyr aleppo. later, abu firas of tawid brigade claimed total of 300 support units arrived in al-qusayr, adding sent ambulance, antiaircraft weapon , ammunition. days later, opposition activist denied reinforcements had arrived in al-qusayr, stating no 1 helping qusair other own men . 1 rebel source said government , hezbollah forces had cut of oppositions overland supply lines al-qusayr , others reaffirmed believe government troops had captured 60 percent of city, while government official claimed controlled 80 percent of city.

government troops advancing cautiously amid heavy fighting largely destroyed city. morale among army personal reportedly high news broke killing of al-nusra front commander abu omar. military commanders on ground said battle al-qusayr far on , take 1 more week retake northern part of al-qusayr rebels entrenched. meanwhile, opposition forces still holding al-dabaa air base.

the military reported killed 100 rebel fighters on first day of battle city. opposition activist group sohr stated 76 rebels, 31 hezbollah fighters, 12 government soldiers , militiamen , 8 civilians killed during first 3 days of fighting. per other opposition activist estimates: 90 rebels, 30 hezbollah fighters , 20 government soldiers , militiamen killed during first 2 days. lebanese sources stated 12-20 hezbollah members killed.

by fourth day of fighting, 89 rebels had been killed, including 6 lebanese. on fifth day, number of hezbollah fighters dead had risen 46.

it reported on 24 may government forces advancing in nearby town of hamdiyeh, in attempt cut opposition forces last supply line al-qusayr. army officer stated rebels confined in triangle linking arjun, al-dabaa , northern part of al-qusayr. large force of rebels had retreated al-dabaa air base. approach of army described being slow , methodical, taking on small bit of ground rebels , consolidating before advancing again. few reinforcements reached rebels, due control of surrounding roads government.

on 25 may, government , hezbollah forces had reportedly breached rebel defence lines @ al-dabaa air base northwest , entered facility fighting ongoing, according army. sohr reported fighting taking place around base, while rebels still maintaining control of it, though being heavily shelled government forces.

on 27 may, army , hezbollah troops captured town of hamidiya after heavy clashes. fighting shifted village of haret al-turkumen, army trying capture in order put al-qusayr under complete siege. opposition activist said government forces had captured two-thirds of al-qusayr, while activist said army preventing rebel reinforcements reaching city. reinforcements, trying relieve pressure on al-qusayr, bogged down on outskirts of city. also, lebanese woman killed in rebel mortar attack on hezbollah stronghold of hermel.

on 29 may, state media reported government troops had captured air base after 5 hours of fighting in , around it. hezbollah s manar tv aired footage, relayed tv crew embedded government troops, of tanks being deployed inside air base , soldiers walking around empty hangars. syrian army forces reportedly advancing on nearby town of dabaa. sohr , spokesman rebel farouq battalions confirmed capture of air base next day.

on 30 may, government troops had captured village of rjoun, 6 kilometers northwest of al-qusayr, leaving rebels in situation little chance of escaping northern part of al-qusayr. same day, 300 rebels managed reinforce al-qusayr, breaking through army lines @ village of shamsinn. 11 rebels killed during breakthrough. however, despite this, rebel general selim idris stated rebels in city heavily outgunned , overwhelmed government forces , warned of defeat if west did not react them.

on 31 may, army captured village of jawadiyeh outside al-qusayr, closing entrances leading town , tightening government s siege.

on 5 june, syrian state tv reported syrian army gained full control of city. rebels stated had pulled out of city. 1 hezbollah fighter said took town in rapid overnight offensive, allowing of rebels retreat. source close syrian military said army carrying out mop-up operations in northern quarter of al-qusayr. rebels had reportedly retreated north village of dabaa, still partially under rebel control.

more 500 rebels killed , 1,000 wounded during battle, out of force of 1,900 fighters. 70–110 hezbollah fighters killed, according opposition sources, of @ least 100 confirmed hezbollah fighter. unknown number of syrian army soldiers killed.

mopping-up operations

on 6 june, government forces shelled village of buwaydah, rebels al-qusayr had retreated, although remained in orchards around al-qusayr , in dabaa. later in day, syrian army captured dabaa.

the next day, sohr reported fighting still ongoing on outskirts of dabaa. artillery attacks against buwaydah still continuing. @ least dozen refugees al-qusayr killed during army shelling of surrounding orchards. later in day, government forces captured nearby villages of salhiyeh , masoudiyeh. capture of villages, government forces advanced edge of buwaydah. according state tv, troops broke village later night , pursuing rebels there. army, part, claimed had captured buwaydah, not independently confirmed.

on 8 june, buwaydah captured government forces, making whole of al-qusayr region come under government control. rebels in buwaydah suffered heavy losses during final assault , dozens of rebels, including number of foreign fighters, captured alive. rebels claimed during day army attacked refugee column of 2,000 people, included rebel fighters , civilians, surrounded in orchards around al-qusayr. rebel spokesman claimed 110 people, including 40 women , children , 20 rebel fighters, killed.