Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat

Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat
Part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign (Syrian civil war)

Bombing of Darayya, 17 June 2016
Date9 November 2012[7] – 19 October 2016 (3 years, 11 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location
Darayya and Muadamiyat al-Sham, Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria
Status

Syrian government victory

  • Pro-government forces capture Darayya in August 2016; rebels surrender and leave the city after a ceasefire agreement[8][9][10]
  • Rebels surrender and evacuate Muadamiyat al-Sham in October after 4 years of ceasefire[11]
Belligerents

Syria Syrian Arab Republic

Allied militias:
Hezbollah[1]
Arab Nationalist Guard[2]
Palestine Liberation Army[3]		 Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army Surrendered
Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union Surrendered[4]
Al-Nusra Front (gov. claim, denied by rebels)[4]
Supported by:
CIA (Military Operations Centre)[5][6]
Commanders and leaders
Gen. Ayman Saleh[12]
(4th Brigade)
Secretary General Hayder al-Juburi[13]
(Liwa Dhu al-Fiqar chief commander)
Unknown Syrian Army assault leader †[2]		 Syrian opposition Capt. Saeed Narqash ("Abu Jamal") Surrendered[6]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade chief commander)
Syrian opposition Abdul Rahim Surrendered[14]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade commander)
Syrian opposition Osama Abu Zeid †[14]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade field commander)
Syrian opposition Ahmad Abou Al-Majd †[15]
(Martyrs of Islam Brigade field commander)
Syrian opposition Abu Aref Alayyan †[16]
("key rebel leader")
Syrian opposition Khaled Khodr ("The Mayor") Surrendered[5]
(Conquest Brigade leader)
Faysal al-Shami †[4]
(Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union commander)
Abu al-‘Izz Saqr †[17]
(Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union commander)
Units involved

Syrian Armed Forces

Syrian militias

Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army

Strength
3,000[19] <1,000 (in Darayya by mid-2016)[25]
Casualties and losses
4th Brigade:[12]
286 killed
276 wounded		 120 killed (August 2015 – July 2016)[25]
161,700 residents displaced[14]

The siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat was launched by the Syrian Armed Forces in late 2012 after rebels took over most of the Damascus suburbs of Darayya and Muadamiyat al-Sham in November 2012. Since then, the power grid in the area was cut off as the government attempted to storm the towns multiple times. During the siege the towns were continuously hit by airstrikes from the Syrian Air Force.[7]

On 24 August 2016 it was confirmed that the rebels and the Syrian Government made a deal in which the rebels would leave the city. They would be able to leave and would be sent up to Idlib with their families. The rest of the civilians would be relocated.[26] The town of Muadamiyat al-Sham was also surrendered on 19 October under a similar agreement.[11]

  1. ^ Fadel, Leith (24 June 2016). "Syrian Army captures over 25 farms in southern Darayya: map". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Daryya Rebels Thwarted another Attempt to Storm the City". El-Dorar Al-Shamia. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016.
  3. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (1 September 2015). "Overview of some pro-Assad Militias". Syria Comment. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference amid was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Robert Fisk (26 October 2016). "The Syrian town shattered by war that may finally have seen an end to the fighting". The Independent. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b Browne, Gareth (1 September 2016). "Syria's Thermopylae: Daraya's retreating rebels could tip balance in battle for Aleppo". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Top Syria rebel commander killed in battle". The Peninsula Qatar. 16 December 2012.
  8. ^ Raf Sanchez, Josie Ensor (26 August 2016). "Daraya surrenders to Assad regime after four years of siege and starvation". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Rebels to surrender Syrian town of Darayya to Assad's forces". The Guardian. 25 August 2016.
  10. ^ Fadel, Leith (27 August 2016). "[Breaking] Syrian Army in full control of Darayya". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference another was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b c Cockburn, Patrick (8 September 2016). "The silent devastation of Daraya: Capture of suburb is a big step towards Assad winning the battle for Damascs". Independent. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  13. ^ a b c Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (24 February 2016). "Liwa Dir' al-Watan: A New Pro-Assad Militia in Damascus". Syria Comment. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  14. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference abandoned was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Charkatli, Izat (8 August 2016). "Rebel commander killed in Daraya clashes". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  16. ^ Adra, Zen (28 July 2016). "Field Report: Syrian Army tightens the noose around rebels in Darayya. Map Update". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  17. ^ Leith Fadel (7 September 2015). "Ajnad Al-Sham Suffers a Devastating Blow in Darayya: Leader Killed by the Syrian Air Force". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  18. ^ a b Fadel, Leith (11 July 2016). "Syrian Army seizes half of Darayya as rebel defenses fall apart". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  19. ^ a b "The Inside Source". Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  20. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (15 May 2016). "The Leopards of Homs: A Pro-Assad Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  21. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (6 August 2016). "Liwa Sayf al-Mahdi: A Syrian Army Shi'i Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  22. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (14 December 2016). "Usud Al-Cherubim: A Pro-Assad Christian Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  23. ^ "Darayya…How Iran Kills Cities". Baladi News. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Islamist group tortures unarmed man to death south Damascus: brother". Zaman al-Wasl. 15 August 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  25. ^ a b "With fewer than 1,000 remaining, Darayya rebels 'abandoned' as regime advances". Syria:direct. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  26. ^ "Darayya siege: Residents and fighters ready to evacuate Syrian town – BBC News". Retrieved 30 August 2016.


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