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2014 Hama offensive

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2014 Hama offensive
Part of the Syrian Civil War

Map of Syria with Hama highlighted (For a war map of the current situation in Hama, see here.)
Date26 July 2014[6] — present
(10 years, 2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Hama Governorate, Syria
Result

Ongoing

  • Rebels initially capture Khitab and its military base, Halfaya and a dozen villages
  • Rebels expel government troops from southwestern Mork[7]
  • Rebel attack on Mhardeh repelled[8]
  • The Army recaptures Khitab and its military base, Halfaya and all other territory previously lost[9]
Belligerents

Islamic Front[1]
Al-Nusra Front[2]
Syrian Revolutionary Command Council[3]
Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance[4]

Syria Free Syrian Army

Syria Syrian Arab Republic

Supported by:

Commanders and leaders
Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani
(Nusra leader)[10]
Abou Hammam as-Suri
(Nusra general military commander)[10]
Abdullah al-Muhsini
(senior Nusra commander)[10]
Yusef al-Hassan[11]		 Colonel Soheil Al-Hassan
(overall commander)[12]
Abu Fahd (WIA)[13]
(NDF commander of Mhardeh)
Units involved
Jund al-Aqsa[4]
Omar Brigade[4]
Al Majed Brigade[4]
Al Fatehin Brigade[4]
Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union[3]		 Brigade 66[14]
Spec Ops "Tigers" unit[15]
Local NDF militia[16]
Strength
1,500 (Al-Nusra Front)[17] Unknown

The 2014 Hama offensive, codenamed 'Hazwat Badr al-Sham al-Kubra',[1] is a military operation launched by Syrian rebels during the Syrian Civil War in the northern parts of Hama Governorate, in an attempt to reach the Hama Military Airport and the provincial capital of the province. It was also launched in an attempt to cut the supply line to Aleppo, especially after the rebels seized the village of Rajhan.[2]

The Army launched a counter-offensive on 26 August, resulting in the recapture of all territory lost to the rebels since 26 July.

Rebel offensive

On 26 July, the rebels in Hama province captured the town of Khitab, Rahbeh village, Khitab arms depots and army base.[18] The next day, clashes continued between pro-government forces and rebels in the western sides of Qamhana town[19] and in the villages of al-Sher and al-Majdal in the western countryside of Hama near Maharda.[20] On 28 July, rebels killed six soldiers and captured the "Btesh" checkpoint in Tarabih,[21] located nine kilometers north of Hama military airport. During their advance, the rebels began striking the airport with Grad missiles. Meanwhile, new Army reinforcements arrived in the area.[2] As the rebels advanced, they were able to cut off the road linking Hama city to a string of government-controlled Christian and Alawite villages in the west of the province.[11]

On 29 July, government forces recaptured Salba and Tall Mallah on the Hama–Suqaylabiyah road.[22]

On 9 August, a pro-government source claimed that the Army thwarted a rebel attack on a garrison in Mhardeh.[23] On 13 August, according to the pro-opposition SOHR, rebels recaptured the southwestern part of the town of Mork, while the Army began retreating to the outskirts of the town.[7] However, fighting continued in the town the next day.[24]

At the same time, rebels captured the Tall al-Sheyha and the village of Arzeh, killing at least 12 soldiers,[25][26] and placing themselves within 3–4 km of Hama Military Airport.[27] According to the SOHR, the rebels lost six fighters that day.[28] They lost another five fighters (including a battalion commander) the next day. On 16 August, rebels captured the al-Madajin checkpoint, while they were forced to retreat from al-Shayha village and Tall al-Sheyha due to heavy bombardments on the region. The rebels managed to recapture the hill later that day, destroying a tank in the progress. All five crew members were reportedly killed.[29]

On 18 August, a Syrian fighter jet was shot down by rebels near the Hama airport. The pilot was reportedly killed in the act.[30] Rebels tried to enter the village of Qbayyat during the night, resulting in heavy clashes with pro-government fighters and soldiers.[14]

Army counter-attack

The next day, Syrian forces regained control over the village of Um Hurayzah in the eastern countryside of Hama, while they also managed to advance towards Arze village.[14] Seven rebels were killed during the day.[31] On 20 August, the Army made new gains near the city of Halfaya, while two rebel commanders were killed during the day.[32]

Rebels capture Halfaya

On 22 August, a rebel brigade commander was killed near the village of al-Shiha, while the Al-Nusra Front sent reinforcements (consisting of two convoys) from Aleppo to the south of Halfaya city.[33] The next day, new reinforcements from Al-Nusra Front arrived near Mhardeh city and in the Halfaya area in preparations for the start of the battle for Mhardeh.[34]

On 23 August, a rebel attack on the Mhardeh power station was repelled.[13] The next day, rebel forces, primarily composed of Al-Nusra fighters, captured the city of Halfaya.[35] On 25 August, government troops recaptured the "Btesh" checkpoint but had to abandon it once again due to heavy rebel shelling.[13]

New Army counter-attack

At this point, no less than 1,500 fighters from the Al-Nusra Front grouped in Halfaya and around Mhardeh,[17] with the assault force personally lead by the group's leader Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani. According to a source within Nusra, the Free Syrian Army rejected the idea of storming the Christian majority city of Mhardeh and hence the large number of reinforcements brought from Aleppo. Before the assault, al-Jawlani gave a speech to his fighters to boost morale.[10] At the same time, military special forces reinforcements, known as the “Tiger Forces”, arrived from Aleppo province, along with their commander, Col. Soheil Al-Hassan.[15]

On 26 August, the rebel attack on Mhardeh was launched and fighting raged for the numerous checkpoints defending the city.[10] The same day, Army units captured rebel positions near the village of Shar'aya,[17] as well as the village itself.[36]

On 27 August, rebels captured a number of soldiers near Arzeh,[37] while fighting in the village itself was renewed later in the day.[38]

On 28 August, the Army captured Tall al-Sheyha hill and advanced in Bateesh, Arzeh and Khitab. The rebels used the hill to bombard the airport in previous days.[36][39] Later in the day, the "Btesh" checkpoint was once again reported to be government-held but coming under rebel fire.[40] By this point, the rebel attack on Mhardeh was seen as to have failed following the military counterattack during which government troops recaptured checkpoints along the road leading to Halfaya.[8]

Two days later, the pro-government Al-Masdar news site reported the NDF forces, supported by the reinforcements, repelled a rebel infiltration attempt near the Mhardeh power plant.[41]

On 7 September, the Army recaptured Arzeh,[42] while 17 rebels (including a commander) were killed in fighting along the frontline.[43] Al-Masdar News also claimed the Army recaptured Deir Hamra, near the airport.[44] The next day, rebels captured the Seher Hill checkpoint, while Army units advanced in the Sen Seher - Zor al Qse’eyyi area[45] and the village of Zor Bel Hsein.[46]

On 9 September, the Army recaptured Khitab, Zor Bel Hsein, Zor al Masaleq, Zor al Jdid and Kherbet al Hjame,[47][48] and the Rahbat Khitab military base,[49] while according to Al-Masdar news, Army and NDF units also seized the villages of Al-Samama and Qamaha and two neighborhoods in Halfaya.[50] An al-Nusra Front commander was killed near Halfaya during the day's fighting.[51] With government troops regaining control of these villages and the rebels pushed back, Hama military airport was no longer threatened.[9]

The next day, Syrian forces recaptured the southern part of Halfaya city,[5] the "Btesh" checkpoint and the farmlands of Btesh.[52] On 11 September, the military made further advances in Halfaya[53] leaving a large part of the area under government control.[54] In the evening, Al-Masdar reported the Army had secured Halfaya.[55]

Strategic analysis

The rebel offensive forced government forces to step up their troop presence in the area, which would limit the Army's capabilities in other areas, such as Aleppo, according to a rebel commander. The aim of the rebel offensive was to capture the military airport and stop the Air force from manufacturing barrel bombs, which were being manufactured at the base and used for many months to strike opposition-controlled areas across Syria.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Charles Lister: 14-08-2014
  2. ^ a b c d "Syria rebels advance towards key airport in Hama | News, Middle East". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  3. ^ a b Syria Update: June 25 - August 7, 2014
  4. ^ a b c d e Hama province: 29 July 2014
  5. ^ a b Hama Province: The number of people who...
  6. ^ "Hama Province: The fighters of Al Aqsa... - Syrian Observatory for Human Rights". Facebook. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  7. ^ a b Hama Province:13-08-2014
  8. ^ a b Jabhat al-Nusra advances on Quneitra, gains border crossing
  9. ^ a b Syria troops push back rebels threatening air base
  10. ^ a b c d e After Tabaqa airport, what is IS' next target?
  11. ^ a b "Syria Rebels Advance on Key Airport in Hama Province". NDTV. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  12. ^ Large confrontation between Jawlani and Suhail
  13. ^ a b c In their words: Syrian regime forces on battle in Mhardeh
  14. ^ a b c Forces of the regime regained control over Um Hurayzah
  15. ^ a b Tiger Forces Arrive in Hama to Combat Jabhat Al-Nusra
  16. ^ Islamic State not attacking Hama Christians, activists says
  17. ^ a b c Hama Province: 26-08-2014
  18. ^ Jul 28, 2014 06:45am. "Jihadists make fresh gains in Syria: NGO - Newspaper". Dawn.Com. Retrieved 2014-07-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Hama province: clashes continue between... - Syrian Observatory for Human Rights". Facebook. 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  20. ^ "Hama province: a man and a woman killed... - Syrian Observatory for Human Rights". Facebook. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  21. ^ Progress of Nusra front and rebels in Hama
  22. ^ [1]
  23. ^ "Syrian Arab army eliminates over 35 terrorists plus several foreign ringleaders outside Idlib and Lattakia"
  24. ^ Hama Province:14-08-2014
  25. ^ Hama Province:15-08-2014
  26. ^ Battle of Northern Hama 15 August 2014
  27. ^ Charles Lister: 14-08-2014
  28. ^ Hama Province:15-08-2014
  29. ^ High number of martyrs in Homs and Hama
  30. ^ Pilot killed in Hama
  31. ^ Hama Province: 20-08-2014
  32. ^ Hama Province: 20-08-2014
  33. ^ جبهة النصرة ترسل ارتالا عسكرية لقتال النظام بريف حماه
  34. ^ جبهة النصرة تبدء معركة السيطرة على مدينة محردة
  35. ^ The Christian Village of Mhardeh is Under Siege by Jabhat Al-Nusra
  36. ^ a b [2]
  37. ^ Hama Province: The aircrafts attacked areas...
  38. ^ Hama Province
  39. ^ Syrian Arab Army Captures Strategic Areas in Hama
  40. ^ Hama Province
  41. ^ Jabhat Al-Nusra is Losing Ground in West Hama
  42. ^ Hama province: 7-9-2014
  43. ^ قصف واشتباكات عنيفة بريف حماه واستشهاد 17مقاتلا بينهم قائد عسكري
  44. ^ Al-Nusra Front Repelled in Mhardeh; Suffers Heavy Casualties in Hama
  45. ^ Hama Province: 8-9-2014
  46. ^ Hama Province: 8-9-2014
  47. ^ قوات النظام تتقدم في ريف حماه وتتراجع في ريف القنيطرة
  48. ^ خبرنگار العالم: ارتش سوریه شهر خطاب در شمال حماه را کاملا تحت کنترل خود در آورد
  49. ^ SYRIA DIRECT: NEWS UPDATE 9-9-14
  50. ^ Syrian Arab Army Liberates Three Villages Hama
  51. ^ Emir in Nusra Front killed near Halfaya Hama
  52. ^ Hama Province: 10-09-2014
  53. ^ Hama province
  54. ^ Syrian regime air raids kill 28: Monitor
  55. ^ Strategic Village of Halfaya Liberated by the Tiger Forces in West Hama
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