Siege of Abu al-Duhur Airbase

Part of the Syrian Civil War

Date

23 September 2012 – 9 September 2015
(2 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 3 days)

Location

Abu al-Duhur, Idlib Governorate, Syria

Result

Rebel victory

Rebels capture three villages and the airbase

Belligerents

Army of Conquest

Free Syrian Army
(until late 2014)

Syrian Arab Republic

Commanders and leaders

Jamal Maarouf
(until late 2014)

Brig. Gen. Ihsan al-Zuhouri †
(Abu al-Duhur commander)

Abu Al-Jarrah

Colonel Hussein Al-Yousif †
(Syrian Arab Air Force 678 Squadron division commander)

Lieutenant Mohammad Khadour †
(Syrian Air Force officer)

Lieutenant Saarem Mahfoud †
(Syrian Air Force officer)

Units involved

Syrian Martyrs' Brigade
(until late 2014)

Katibat Sayfulla (كتيبة سيف الله)

11th Tank Division

Liwaa Suqour Al-Daher

678 Squadron

Strength

1,000+ fighters

250–700 soldiers

Casualties and losses

dozens killed
(final assault)

56+ killed, 71 captured (all executed), 40+ missing
(final assault)
-----
One helicopter
Antonov An-26 crashed

Rebel victory

Army of Conquest

Syrian Arab Republic

The Siege of Abu al-Duhur Airbase was a battle for the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in the Idlib Governorate during the Syrian Civil War. It was captured by rebel forces on 9 September 2015. The base had been besieged since September 2012.

On 22 September 2012, rebels from the Free Syrian Army carried out a coordinated attack involving 3 rebel battalions on the airbase at Abu al-Duhur, and then preventing Syrian Army reinforcements from reaching the base. They also claimed to have shot down a fighter jet during the attack, though this was not independently confirmed. By September 2012, the Syrian Air Force base was partially besieged by rebel fighters. The rebels, led by prominent commander Jamal Maarouf, established positions on the base's western edge, from where they were able to fire on the base's runways. The base was reported to have been rendered effectively unusable as a result, with planes no longer able to fly to or from it. By this time, supplies for the troops were airdropped by helicopters that flew in from airbases in Hama. The rebels also upped their attacks on the airbase. They claimed that as a result of their employment of anti-aircraft weaponry, they rendered flights from the base inoperable. In August and September 2012, two MiG-21 and one MiG-23 jet fighters were reportedly downed above the airbase, including one reportedly shot down by Maarouf himself.

In 2013, al-Khashir checkpoint (north east of the airport) was destroyed and burned by rebels. However, the army kept control of the village. The base itself was also unsuccessfully stormed by the FSA on 30 April 2013, which temporally seized the western part of the base.

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Wikipedia