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Hama and Homs offensive (March–April 2015)

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Hama and Homs offensive (March–April 2015)
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Date20 March – 9 April 2015
(2 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Hama Governorate & Homs Governorate, Syria
Result Indecisive
Belligerents

Islamic State Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Syria Syrian Arab Republic

Commanders and leaders
Abu Ali al-Anbari (Deputy, Syria) Brig. Gen. Yahya Baawish[1]
Casualties and losses
60–100 killed (Syrian Army claim)[2] 142 killed,[3][4][5][6] some missing[7]
48–50 civilians killed by ISIL (46–48 executed)[1][5][8]

The Hama and Homs offensive (March–April 2015) during the Syrian Civil War was launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in an attempt to cut the government supply line between its troops in central and northern Syria.[3]

The offensive

ISIL launched a two-pronged offensive in the eastern rural areas of Hama and Homs provinces[9] on 20 March 2015, in an attempt to cut the main government supply line linking Aleppo, Khanasir, Salamiyah and Hama with each other.[3] It was also speculated the aim of the assault was to raise morale after losses to Kurdish forces in the northeast of the country, especially during the Siege of Kobanî.[10] After three days of fighting, during which ISIL stormed several military checkpoints, 20 soldiers were killed in Homs,[4] while 74 soldiers died in Hama and a number of others were missing.[7]

Early on 23 March, the jihadists attacked the military airport in Tadmur, in Homs province,[10] and reportedly shot down a Syrian Arab Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft.[11]

On 31 March, Islamic State militants killed 46–48 civilians in the village of Mabuja, in Hama province, before the Army managed to repel their attack. The subsequent fighting also left 31 soldiers and reportedly 40 militants dead. Six of the NDF soldiers were executed.[5][8] The victims were ether shot dead, burned or stabbed.[12] 50 other civilians were kidnapped by ISIL from the village.[13]

On 5 April, ISIL restarted its offensive by attacking four villages in the Salamiyah District of Hama, but reportedly did not manage to gain any significant ground. Two civilians were killed due to ISIL shelling.[1] By 7 April, after two days of continues fighting, the ISIL assault was repelled.[14] Still, on 9 April, ISIL attacked the al-Tababir and Hannorah checkpoints, in the east of the al-Froqlos area of Homs province, leaving 17 soldiers dead, three of whom were beheaded.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Leith Fadel. "ISIS Restarts East Hama Offensive; Multiple Villages Attacked". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  2. ^ Leith Fadel. "ISIS Launches a Large Scale Offensive in East Hama". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "74 members of the regime forces and allied militiamen killed in the east of Hama". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b "ISIS claims bloody attacks on Kurds, regime in Syria". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Leith Fadel. "ISIS Offensive in East Hama Forestalled by the NDF; 3 Civilians Burnt Alive". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  6. ^ a b "IS militants kill 17 members of the regime forces and behead 3 members of them in the countryside of Homs". SOHR. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b "KUNA : ISIL militants kill 74 Syrian soldiers - SOHR". Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  8. ^ a b Master. "69 civilians including 14 children and women were executed by IS during the past 5 days". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  9. ^ ISIS Defeats Could Trip Global Terror Campaign
  10. ^ a b "Islamic State moves west to attack Syrian army in Homs: monitor". Reuters. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Isis: Syrian regime Sukhoi Su-24 warplane 'shot down' near Homs by Islamic State militants". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  12. ^ "ISIS kills more than 40 in attack on Syrian village". Fox News. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  13. ^ "ISIL holding 50 civilians after raid on Syria village: monitor - MIDEAST". Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  14. ^ Leith Fadel. "ISIS Attack on East Hama has been Repelled". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.


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