Battle of Sidon

Part of the Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon

Date

23–25 June 2013
(2 days)

Location

Sidon, Lebanon

Result

Lebanese Army victory

Lebanese Army secures the city, militants escape

Belligerents

Lebanese Army

Hezbollah

Lebanese Resistance Brigades

Al-Assir militants

Al-Nusra Front

Fatah al-Islam

Jund al-Sham

Commanders and leaders

General Jean Kahwaji
General Chamel Roukoz

Ahmed Al-Assir

Strength

2000 soldiers

300 fighters

Casualties and losses

Lebanese Army:
18 killed (Most of them from the Rangers Regiment)
100–128 wounded
4 vehicles damaged
Hezbollah:
4 killed
15 wounded

Al-Assir militants:
25–40 killed
60 wounded
65–70 captured

2 civilians killed
50 people killed overall

Lebanese Army victory

Lebanese Army

Hezbollah

The Battle of Sidon was part of the Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon, and involved the Lebanese Army and Sunni militants in the city of Sidon, Lebanon. Clashes between the followers of militant preacher Ahmed Al-Assir resulted in the deaths of 18 soldiers, 25–40 al-Assir gunmen, two civilians, and according to some sources, four Hezbollah fighters. The clashes were the deadliest since the Syria-related internal conflict in Lebanon began in 2011.

The Syrian civil war has heightened sectarian tensions within Lebanon, particularly between Sunni and Shia Muslims, many of whom support opposing sides and have entered the conflict in large numbers. Hezbollah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah announced on May 25 that Hezbollah would openly support President Bashar al-Assad's forces in fighting the insurgency in Syria. Some Sunni leaders in Lebanon have likewise at various points in time called for Jihad against the Assad government in Syria, and urged Lebanese to join.

In June 2013, clashes broke out in an eastern suburb of Sidon after several people attacked, threw stones at, and shattered the windows of a car belonging to Amjad al-Assir, the brother of Hezbollah critic and hard-line cleric Sheik Ahmad al-Assir. Al-Assir then gave Hezbollah a one-week ultimatum to vacate apartments occupied by the group's supporters in the mostly Sunni city. Clashes broke out between gunmen backing Hezbollah and Sheik Al-Assir, both sides wielding automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Officials stated that the gunmen fighting al-Assir's followers were believed to be Hezbollah sympathizers.

...
Wikipedia