Battle of Sidon (2013)

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.

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