Battle of Darayya (November 2012–February 2013)

Battle of Daraya
Part of Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–present)
Date 15 November 2012-Ongoing Location Daraya, Syria Result Ongoing
Belligerents
Syrian government Syrian Armed Forces	Syrian National Coalition Free Syrian Army Mujahideen Ahrar al-Sham Jahbat al-Nusra
Commanders and leaders
Bashar al Assad	Mohamed Zawahiri Islam Aloush Abu Ali †
Units involved
Republican Guard 4th Armoured Division	Daraya Martyrs battalion Afhad al-Rassoul brigade
Strength
10,000 soldiers	1,000 remaining in 2013
Casualties and losses
1,000+ combatants and civilians killed

The Battle of Daraya is a battle being fought from the end of 2012 to the beginning of 2013 between the Syrian Army and the syrian rebels in the Damascus suburbs of Daraya.

Background

Daraya is a rebellious suburb of Damascus where rebels have attempted to create a stronghold near Damascus center. In August 2012, the Syrian Army defeated the rebel forces and took control of the town. An estimated 500 people were found executed, with rebels and governement accusing each other of being responsible for the massacre.

Battle

The rebels took again control of the town in November 2012. Since, the city has been cut off, its electricity cut and has witnessed a continious shelling. Most of the residents fled as soon as the battle started. The rebels were successful at preventing the Syrian Army from entering the town until mid-december when the Army started to intensify their attacks on the city and the nearby city of Moadmiyah.

On 20 December, after 30 days of siege, the newspaper Al Watan, close to the governement, reported an army progress into Daraya, where the army penetrated the city and isolated rebels fighters in the city center. Al Watan added that most of the fighters were foreigners.

On the 31 December, the Army launched its biggest attack on the city, with columns of armed vehicles trying to progress into the city. The rebels attempts of hitting the presidential palace and Alawites neighbourhood with their homemade rockets were one of the reason of the assault.

On 4 January, an opposition activist that the Syrian army was meeting a very strong resistance in Daraya, but that the Syrian soldiers managed to advance into the main street. The army was also firing from their artillery positions located in the Mount Qasioum on the orchards around Daraya.

The Syrian Observatory, a rebel group, told that the army was sending more reinforcement to Daraya, while Al Watan newspaper wrote that the Army won the Daraya battle.

On 5 January, the Syrian Army arrested Mohamed Zawahiri, the brother of the supreme leader of Al Qaida in Daraya. Russian today arabic correspondant was slightly injured when he felt on his hand while running to avoid being caught in crossfire. His report showed the army in control and patrolling most of the town. Rebels spread into different areas of Darayaa and the army still needed several mopping up operation to declare the area as safe. On the same day, the rebel group Syrian Observatory reported that 10 people died in the fighting, including 6 rebels.

On 6 January, the Syrian army killed a number of rebels near the Al Qasheia school in Daraya, and named the following rebels Odai al-Ward, Ahed Radwan ,Moutez Mansour, Khaled al-khateeb, Omar Madwa, Tareq al-Dabbas, and Muhammed Tabow as being among the dead. Several other rebel groups were killed by the army in the other Damascus suburbs, including 12 who were named by the Army.

On 8 January, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the Syrian Army had took control of parts of Daraya and was sending more soldiers to push for the full conquest of the town.

On 13 January, concording sources, from security officials to rebels groups reavealed that the Syrian Army had taken much of Daraya, entering most of the neighbourhoods.

On 19 January, it was reported that the rebels were still in control of parts of Daraya inspite of fierce clashes and heavy shelling by government forces. Rebels also claimed that a MiG pilot in Daraya had defected and used his fighter jet to bombard three Army positions in the area, killing 15 soldiers of the 4th Syrian Army Brigade. Although this was not independently confirmed.

The rebel commander Abu Ali was killed in the shelling of rebels positions.

On 24 January, the government was shelling Daraya from positions on the Qasioun mountain range west of Damascus.