Damascus offensive (2013)

Damascus offensive (2013)
Part of the Syrian civil war (Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign)
Frontlines in Rif Dimashq from February to March 2013      Syrian Government control      Opposition control      Contested
Date 6 February – 25 March 2013 (1 month, 2 weeks and 5 days) Location Damascus, Syria Result Partial rebel victory Rebels capture parts of the ring road on the edge of Damascus and enter the city's Jobar district in early February Rebels advance into the Qaboun and Kafar Souseh districts in late March Government forces launch a counter-offensive to the east of Damascus in late March
Belligerents
Syrian Coalition Free Syrian Army Syrian Islamic Front Ahrar ash-Sham Kataib Hamza ibn Adulmutallib Syrian Islamic Liberation Front Liwa Al-Islam Al-Nusra Front	Syrian government Syrian Armed Forces PFLP – GC Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
Commanders and leaders
Khaled al-Haboush (Damascus Military Council commander) Sheikh Zahran Alloush † (Liwa al-Islam brigade commander) Abou Al Nour † (Al Hendesah Brigade Leader) Naim Faysal Fiyad † (Ahfad Omar Brigade Leader) Bachar Rez Abou Yassine † (Ahfad Omar Brigade Leader) Mahmoud Al Aqrae † (Farouk Al Sham Brigade leader) Ali Mahmoud Afouf † (Dera Al Asemah Brigade Leader) Mohamed Al Haj Sulaymane † (Al Mujahed Brigade Leader)	Bashar Al-Assad Issam Zahreddine (Republican Guard Brigade 104 commander) Ahmed Jibril (PFLP – GC) Ali Smender (National Defence Front for Syria) †
Units involved
Damascus Military Council	1st Armoured Division 3rd Armoured Division 4th Armoured Division 10th Mechanised Division 14th Special Forces Division Republican Guard
Strength
4,500 fighters 750–1,000 al-Nusra fighters	70,000 soldiers, 1000+ tanks
Casualties and losses
735+ fighters killed	440+ soldiers killed

     Syrian Government control      Opposition control

Partial rebel victory

Syrian Coalition

Syrian government

4,500 fighters

The Damascus offensive (2013) refers to a series of rebel operations that began in early February 2013 in and around the city of Damascus.

On 6 February, rebel forces launched an offensive, named "Battle of Armageddon", on the edge of Central Damascus, with rebels entering the Jobar District of Damascus after overrunning a Syrian Army roadblock. Parts of the Damascus ring road which acts as a barrier between Central Damascus and Ghouta were also seized by rebel fighters. Rebels have also launched attacks on Adra, north east of Damascus.

On 10 February, a rebel claimed that opposition forces had captured another military checkpoint in the Jobar district. However, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that while fighting for the highway continued, government troops regained control of the area after bombing rebel positions the day before.

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Wikipedia