2012 Homs offensive

Military campaign in Homs, Syria

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2014)

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2012 Homs offensive

Part of the Siege of Homs and the Early insurgency phase of the Syrian Civil War

Neighbourhoods in Homs under artillery bombardment (8 February 2012).
| Date| 3 February – 14 April 2012
(2 months, 1 week and 4 days)

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Location|

Homs, Syria

34°43′51″N 36°42′34″E﻿ / ﻿34.7308°N 36.7094°E﻿ / 34.7308; 36.7094
Result|

Syrian Army victory

* By March 2012, the Syrian security forces retake control of half a dozen districts, leaving them in control of 70 percent of the city[4]

Belligerents

Syrian opposition

* Free Syrian Army
* Opposition protesters

Syrian Arab Republic

* Syrian Army
* Security agencies
* Shabiha[1][2]

Supported by:
Iran[3]
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Abdul Razzaq Tlass
Col. Ahmed Jumrek †[5]|  Gen. Fo’ad Hamoudeh
Gen. Ghassan Afif[6]
Gen. Mohamed Maaruf[7]
Units involved
Farouq Brigades
Khalid ibn al-Walid Brigade|

4th Division

* 154th Army Regiment

1st Division

* 46th Armoured Brigade
* 42nd Mechanised Brigade

Strength
1,000 fighters[8]|  7,000 soldiers[9]
Casualties and losses
140–200 FSA fighters killed
(opposition claim)[10]
Tens of killed[11] and 40 captured[12]
(government claim)|  38 soldiers killed[13][14][15][16]
19 captured[13][15]
700–1,000 civilians and rebels killed overall[17] (per H.R.W. and the opposition, see Deaths below for other estimates)
Note: Numbers of dead are only for the period up to the fall of the Baba Amr district

* v
* t
* e

Syrian civil war

Timeline

* Background and causes
* Casualties
* Cities
* map
* Terrorism
* Massacres

* v
* t
* e

Civil uprising in Syria (March–August 2011)

* Daraa
* Baniyas
* Homs (May–August 2011)
* Talkalakh
* Rastan and Talbiseh
* 1st Jisr ash-Shughur
* 1st Jabal al-Zawiya
* Hama
* Latakia

* v
* t
* e

Start of insurgency (Sept. 2011 – April 2012)

* Homs (2011–14)
* 1st Homs offensive
* 1st Idlib Gov.
* Syrian–Turkish border
* Jabal al-Zawiya
* 1st Idlib City
* Saraqib
* 1st Rastan
* Hama Gov.
* Shayrat & Tiyas ambush
* Daraa Gov.
* 1st Rif Dimashq
* 1st Zabadani
* Douma
* Deir ez-Zor (2011–2014)
* Hatla
* Aleppo Gov.
* Azaz
* 2nd Rastan
* 1st al-Qusayr
* 2nd Idlib Gov.
* Taftanaz

* v
* t
* e

UN ceasefire; Rebel advances (May 2012 – Dec. 2013)

* 3rd Rastan
* Houla
* 1st Northern Homs
* Al-Haffah
* Al-Qubeir
* Al-Tremseh
* 3rd Idlib Gov.
* 1st Damascus
* Bombing
* 1st Aleppo city
* Anadan
* Menagh Air Base
* Base 46
* Khan al-Assal
* 1st Aleppo offensive
* 2nd Aleppo offensive
* Syrian Kurdistan and Kurdish–Islamist conflict
* Hasaka campaign
* Ras al-Ayn
* al-Yaarubiyah
* Tell Hamis and Tell Brak
* Tell Abyad
* Nubl & Al-Zahraa
* 2nd Rif Dimashq (1st Darayya)
* Abu al-Duhur Airbase
* Quneitra Gov.
* 3rd Rif Dimashq
* 1st Yarmouk camp
* 2nd Darayya
* Darayya & Muadamiyat
* Aqrab
* 1st Hama offensive
* Halfaya
* 1st Safira
* Shadadeh
* 2nd Damascus
* 1st Raqqa campaign (1st Raqqa)
* 1st Daraa offensive
* 4th Rif Dimashq
* Jdaidet al-Fadl
* Tadamon
* Ghouta
* 2nd al-Qusayr
* 3rd al-Qusayr
* Eastern Ghouta
* 2nd Hama offensive
* Bayda and Baniyas
* 1st Latakia offensive
* Ma'loula
* Sadad
* 5th Rif Dimashq
* 1st Qalamoun
* Adra

* v
* t
* e

Rise of ISIS in 2014

* Inter-rebel conflict
* Northern Aleppo
* Markada
* 1st Deir ez-Zor offensive
* al-Otaiba ambush
* Maan
* Hosn
* Morek
* 2nd Daraa offensive
* 2nd Latakia offensive
* 4th Idlib Gov.
* Al-Malihah
* 2nd Wadi Deif
* 2nd Qalamoun
* Arsal
* Deir ez-Zor (2014–2017)
* 1st Shaer gas field
* 1st Eastern Syria
* Tabqa Airbase
* 3rd Hama offensive
* 6th Rif Dimashq
* 1st Quneitra
* 1st Kobanî

* v
* t
* e

U.S.-led intervention, Rebel and ISIL advances (Sept. 2014 – Sept. 2015)

* U.S.-led intervention
* Homs school bombing
* 3rd Daraa offensive
* 2nd Safira
* 2014 Idlib city raid
* Nusra–FSA conflict
* 2nd Shaer gas field
* 1st Al-Shaykh Maskin
* 2nd Deir ez-Zor offensive
* 3rd Aleppo offensive
* An-26 crash
* 4th Daraa offensive
* Southern Syria
* Eastern al-Hasakah offensive
* 1st Sarrin
* Hama/Homs offensive
* Bosra
* 5th Idlib Gov
* 2nd Idlib city
* Al-Fu'ah-Kafriya
* Nasib
* 2nd Yarmouk camp
* 1st Northwestern Syria
* 3rd Qalamoun
* 1st Palmyra
* Western al-Hasakah offensive
* 1st Al-Hasakah city
* Tell Abyad
* Daraa/As-Suwayda
* 2nd Quneitra
* 2nd Sarrin
* 5th Daraa
* 2nd Al-Hasakah city
* 2nd Kobanî
* 4th Aleppo offensive
* 2nd Zabadani
* 2nd Palmyra
* Al-Ghab
* 1st al-Qaryatayn
* Douma market
* 7th Rif Dimashq
* Kuweires offensive

* v
* t
* e

Russian intervention (Sept. 2015 – March 2016)

* Russian intervention
* 3rd Quneitra
* 2nd Northwestern Syria
* 3rd Latakia offensive
* Su-24 shootdown
* 5th Aleppo offensive
* al-Hawl
* 2nd Homs offensive
* 6th Aleppo offensive
* 4th Hama offensive
* Tell Tamer
* Tishrin Dam
* 2nd Al-Shaykh Maskin
* al-Qamishli bombings
* Orontes River
* 3rd Deir ez-Zor offensive
* 1st Sayyidah Zaynab
* 7th Aleppo offensive
* 1st Ithriyah-Raqqa
* Al-Shaddadi
* Homs bombings
* 2nd Sayyidah Zaynab
* Khanasir
* 2nd Tel Abyad
* Al-Tanf
* 2nd Al-Qaryatayn
* 3rd Palmyra
* 2nd Maarat al-Nu'man

* v
* t
* e

Aleppo escalation and Euphrates Shield (March 2016 – February 2017)

* 8th Aleppo offensive
* 6th Daraa
* 9th–11th Aleppo offensives
* Al-Dumayr
* 1st East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict
* 1st Qamishli
* Aleppo bombings
* 8th Rif Dimashq
* 3rd Shaer gas field
* Northern Raqqa
* Jableh & Tartus
* Manbij
* Tokhar
* 2nd Ithriyah-Raqqa
* 9th Rif Dimashq
* 12th–14th Aleppo offensives
* 12th
* 13th
* 14th
* 4th Latakia offensive
* 1st Abu Kamal
* 3rd Qamishli
* Atmeh
* al-Rai
* 3rd Al-Hasakah City
* Operation Euphrates Shield
* Northern al-Bab
* Dabiq
* al-Bab
* 5th Hama offensive
* 1st Western al-Bab
* 1st Eastern Qalamoun
* September bombings
* 4th Quneitra
* Deir ez-Zor airstrike
* Aleppo aid convoy attack
* 15th Aleppo offensive
* Khan al-Shih
* 1st Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* 2nd Western al-Bab
* 16th Aleppo offensive
* 2nd Raqqa campaign
* 17th Aleppo offensive
* 4th Palmyra
* Wadi Barada
* 1st Syrian Desert
* Azaz bombings
* 5th Palmyra
* 4th Deir ez-Zor offensive
* 18th Aleppo offensive
* 2nd Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* 7th Daraa
* Qaboun
* 8th Daraa

* v
* t
* e

Collapse of the Islamic State in Syria (Feb. – Nov. 2017)

* Eastern Homs offensive
* al-Jina mosque
* 6th Hama offensive
* Tabqa
* Khan Shaykhun
* US Shayrat strike
* Aleppo bus bombing
* April 2017 Turkish airstrikes
* 2nd East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict
* 2nd Syrian Desert
* Maskanah
* East Hama
* 2nd Raqqa
* 9th Daraa
* Southern Raqqa
* Iranian Deir ez-Zor strike
* Ja'din
* Jobar
* 5th Quneitra
* Central Syria
* 3rd Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* 4th Qalamoun
* Deir ez-Zor (2017–2019)
* 2nd Eastern Syria
* Deir ez-Zor city
* Euphrates Crossing
* Mayadin
* 2nd Abu Kamal
* 7th Hama offensive

* v
* t
* e

Rebels in retreat and Operation Olive Branch
(Nov. 2017 – Sep. 2018)

* 3rd Northwestern Syria
* Eastern Syria insurgency
* Atarib
* Harasta
* Beit Jinn
* 3rd Syrian Desert
* 5th Deir ez-Zor offensive
* 1st Southern Damascus
* Olive Branch
* Afrin
* SDF insurgency
* Khasham
* Feb 2018 Israel–Syria incident
* 10th Rif Dimashq (Douma)
* 4th Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* 2nd Southern Damascus
* U.S.-led missile strikes
* 2nd Northern Homs
* 2nd Eastern Qalamoun
* 3rd Southern Damascus
* Deir ez-Zor SAA-SDF clashes
* House of Cards
* 1st As-Suwayda
* 2nd Southern Syria
* 2nd As-Suwayda
* 3rd As-Suwayda
* 2nd Qamishli

* v
* t
* e

Idlib demilitarization
(Sep. 2018 – April 2019)

* Idlib demilitarization
* 5th Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* 1st Israeli missile strikes
* 2nd Iranian strike
* Northern border clashes
* Daraa insurgency
* Manbij bombing
* Baghuz Fawqani
* U.S. airstrike

* v
* t
* e

First Idlib offensive, Operation Peace Spring, & Second Idlib offensive (April 2019 – March 2020)

* 4th Northwestern
* Tell Rifaat
* Raqqa & Azaz
* Hass
* 2nd Israeli missile strikes
* Peace Spring (2nd Ras al-Ayn)
* Kayla Mueller
* Northern bombings
* 3rd Israeli missile strikes
* Qah
* 5th Northwestern
* Balyun
* Spring Shield
* 2nd U.S. missile strikes
* 10th Daraa

* v
* t
* e

Idlib ceasefire (March 2020 – Nov. 2024)

* 6th Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* Ayn Issa
* Qamishli & Al-Hasakah
* 4th Israeli missile strikes
* 3rd Qamishli
* 11th Daraa
* 7th Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* 3rd Al-Hasakah city
* 1st Aleppo inter-rebel conflict
* Jabal al-Bishrī
* 2nd Aleppo inter-rebel conflict
* Claw-Sword
* Northwestern clashes
* 3rd U.S. missile strikes
* 2nd Northern clashes
* Deir ez-Zor clashes
* 3rd Northern clashes
* Homs drone strike
* Israel–Hezbollah conflict (Iranian consulate airstrike)
* February 2024 airstrikes
* Anti-Turkish riots

* v
* t
* e

Opposition offensives and Assad overthrown (Nov. – Dec. 2024)

* Opposition offensives
* 2nd Aleppo city
* Hospital strike
* 8th Hama offensive
* 19th Aleppo offensive
* 6th Deir ez-Zor offensive
* 3rd Homs offensive
* 6th Palmyra
* 2nd Manbij
* Al-Mustariha strike
* 3rd Southern Syria
* 3rd Damascus
* Fall of the Assad regime

* v
* t
* e

Transitional government and SNA–SDF conflict (Dec. 2024 – present)

* Israeli invasion of Syria
* 3rd Kobani
* 20th Aleppo offensive
* Western clashes

* v
* t
* e

Syrian War spillover and international incidents

* Lebanon spillover
* Lebanese–Syrian border
* Sidon
* Iranian embassy bombing
* North Lebanon clashes

* * *

* Syrian–Turkish border incidents
* Turkish F4 shootdown
* Reyhanlı bombings
* Turkish occupation of northern Syria
* Kurdish riots

* * *

* Jordanian–Syrian border incidents

* * *

* Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line
* February 2018 incident
* May 2018 incident

* * *

* Iraqi–Syrian border incidents
* Akashat
* al-Shabah
* Western Nineveh
* Western Iraq

* * *

* Spillover in Iran
* 2017 Tehran attacks
* 2017 Deir ez-Zor missile strike
* 2024 Iranian airstrikes in Syria

* * *

* Spillover in Turkey
* Russian Su-24 shootdown
* Andrei Karlov
* Balyun airstrikes
* Kafr Takharim airstrikes

* * *

* Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict

* * *

* * *

* Spillover in Europe

* v
* t
* e

Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war

Foreign intervention on behalf of Syrian Arab Republic

* Russian involvement
* Iranian intervention
* 2017 missile strike
* 2012 Hezbollah involvement

Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels

* Foreign rebel fighters
* Turkish involvement
* Turkey–Islamic State conflict
* Tomb of Suleyman Shah relocation
* Euphrates Shield
* 2017 airstrikes
* Idlib Governorate operation
* Afrin operation
* 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
* Israel's role

U.S.-led intervention against ISIL

* US intervention
* Timeline
* List of attacks
* 2014 rescue operation
* May 2015 raid
* 2017 missile strikes
* Qatari involvement
* Jordanian intervention
* Operation Martyr Muath
* Lebanon's role
* Saudi involvement
* April 2018 missile strikes
* Dutch involvement
* German intervention
* French intervention
* Australian intervention
* UK intervention

The 2012 Homs offensive was a Syrian Army offensive on the armed rebellion stronghold of Homs, within the scope of the Siege of Homs, beginning in early February 2012 and ending with the U.N. brokered cease fire on 14 April 2012.

The offensive began by artillery bombardment by the Syrian armed forces in response to an attack by the Free Syrian Army on Syrian Army checkpoints on 3 February 2012, killing 10 soldiers.[13][18] Government forces then began to bombard the city using tanks, helicopters, and artillery, rockets and mortars.[19][20][21] The Syrian government has denied that the bombardment is indiscriminate and blamed "armed groups" for the civilian deaths, including the deaths of foreign journalists.[22]

Heavy shelling continued on 29 February, as the Syrian armed forces launched a ground operation to restore control of the Baba Amr neighbourhood. The Syrian government announced that the army was being sent into the area[23] and were "cleaning" it from rebel fighters, and that the operation would be over in a matter of hours.[24] At this stage, water supplies, electricity and communications were entirely cut off in the Baba Amr district according to opposition activists.[25] Heavy clashes continued throughout the day, as the Syrian Army's 4th Armoured Division sent in tanks and infantry.[9] Baba Amr was finally secured by the Syrian army on the morning of 1 March, as rebel forces claimed they had made a "tactical retreat" from the area, after running low on weapons and ammunition.

## Background

[edit]

Main article: Syrian civil war

Following the killing of 10 Syrian Army soldiers at a checkpoint and the capture of another 19 soldiers by the Free Syrian Army, government forces began an artillery bombardment of the city of Homs on the night of 3 February 2012.

## The operation

[edit]

### February bombardment

[edit]

The bombardment began on the 30th anniversary of the Hama Massacre, a significant event for many Syrians. The Khaldiyeh neighborhood in particular was targeted when the bombardment began on 3 February, and opposition activists soon claimed that the initial attack led to over 200 deaths.[13][18] According to the opposition activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, after more than two hours of shelling, at least 217 were killed in Homs, with 138 of the deaths having occurred in Khaldiya.[21] They later raised their estimate of the death toll to over 260.[26]

Within a few days, the opposition Syrian National Council claimed the death toll had reached 416, and cited residents as saying at least 36 houses with families still inside were totally destroyed.[27] They later revised their toll down to 290 killed in that period, however.[28] According to an Al Arabiya correspondent in Homs, the district hospital was also destroyed. The correspondent claimed that at least 337 people had been killed and that over 1,300 people were injured in the shelling. However, the SNC and Al Arabiya figures were not independently confirmed and several western media outlets (including Reuters,[29] France24,[30] BBC[31] and CNN[32]) reported the death toll at around 200. The Free Syrian Army vowed to fight back with intense operations against the governments' forces and claimed to have destroyed an air intelligence building in Homs.[33] Opposition activists posted many videos depicting burning buildings and dead bodies that they said were filmed in Homs.[34][35][36] At least 30 buildings, including a hospital, were said to have been destroyed or severely damaged in the shelling.[37] According to the SOHR, 14 Syrian Army soldiers and five army defectors were also killed in the shelling and fighting in addition to the civilian deaths.[13] The Local Coordination Committees also initially claimed that the death toll was more than 200 people, saying that they were working to confirm the number of deaths.[38] They later revised their figures, confirming only 55 deaths.[39][40] On 5 February, the LCC stated that they had documented the names of 212 people that had been killed in Homs, but counted only 181 bodies.[41]

Artillery firing towards Homs, Syria. Smoke rising from the subsequent shelled buildings, 25 February.

At least 300 rockets struck Homs on the morning of 6 February, leading to 15 deaths,[42] with some claiming up to 50 dead,[43] and later 95 dead.[11] The FSA attempted a counter-attack against the government forces, managing to hold them at bay for a short time before they had to fall back. Two rebel fighters were killed in the fighting.[44] The assault continued on 7 February, resulting in at least 19 deaths and 40 injuries as government forces shelled the city and attempted to move into rebel-held areas.[11]

At least 47 people were killed on the morning of 8 February. Tanks were reported moving down the main thoroughfares and were poised to advance into residential areas, according to locals. The Syrian state news agency reported that an oil refinery near Homs was attacked by "armed groups."[45] On 9 February, activists said 110 people were killed in Homs by artillery shelling.[46] Another group of activists reported a toll of 57 dead.[47] On 10 February, five FSA fighters were killed in the continued shelling, including Colonel Ahmed Jumrek, who had defected from the Syrian Army.[5]

On 14 February, an FSA commander told reporters that his men had repelled a ground assault on the Bab Amr district, saying that four government tanks had been destroyed when they tried to enter the district.[48]

According to the opposition, rockets struck parts of Homs at a rate of four per minute on 18 February, the most violent bombardment for two weeks. The BBC reported shells were hitting the Homs neighborhoods of Baba Amr, Inshaat, Bayada and Khaldiya, according to opposition and human rights activists.[49] On the morning of 21 February 2012, news sources were reporting a new wave of heavy bombardment had begun,[50] killing at least 30 people.[51] An opposition member who was broadcasting live footage of the quarter of Bab Amr on the website Bambuser was killed in the fighting.[52]

American journalist Marie Colvin, working for The Sunday Times of London, was killed in Homs on 22 February during an artillery attack, along with French photographer Rémi Ochlik.[53] In her last broadcast, an interview with Anderson Cooper of CNN, Colvin accused the Syrian Army of perpetrating the "complete and utter lie that they are only targeting terrorists." Describing what was happening as "absolutely sickening", Colvin said: "The Syrian army is simply shelling a city of cold, starving civilians." Colvin, who had lost an eye to shrapnel in Sri Lanka and had covered conflicts in Chechnya, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Libya, and East Timor, described the bombardment of Homs as the worst conflict she had ever experienced.[54]

Soon after Colvin's death, Lebanese intelligence claimed to have intercepted communications between Syrian Army officers to the effect that direct orders had been issued to target the makeshift press centre from which Colvin had been broadcasting. Jean-Pierre Perrin, a journalist for the Paris-based Liberation newspaper who had been with Colvin in Homs as recently as the previous week, claimed he had been told that the Syrian Army was "deliberately" going to shell their centre. Mr Perrin said the Syrians were "fully aware" that the press centre was broadcasting direct evidence of crimes against humanity, including the murdering of women and children. Perrin claimed that "[t]he Syrian Army issued orders to 'kill any journalist that set foot on Syrian soil,'" saying that he received news of the intercepted Syrian Army radio traffic upon arriving in Beirut. The Syrian government knew that if they destroyed the press centre, said Mr. Perrin, there would be "no more information coming out of Homs."[55]

Activists told that 81 people, both FSA rebels and civilians, were killed the same day. One activist told that helicopters were used to identify the targets. A Lebanese official told that the Syrian government wanted to finish the battle before the referendum poll on the new Syrian constitution.[56] On the same day, Syrian state media claimed men had killed two officers, a first lieutenant and a captain, when men fired an RPG at their car from a bridge. SANA said another member of the security forces was killed by a bomb in Homs.[57]

Building burning in "Bab Dreeb" after shelling by the Syrian Army.

On 23 February, the Syrian army entered the Jobar area close to Bab Amr. One activist told that the army successfully cut all escape roads of Bab Amr and that unlike the previous fights, the FSA will be unable to escape.[58]

On 26 February, SANA reported that 40 rebels surrendered in Bab Amr quarter.[12] At least 89 people died in Homs between 26 and 27 February as clashes and bombardment continued. 64 of those killed were refugees kidnapped and executed by the Syrian Army, according to opposition sources. At least 25 people were wounded in shelling on 27 February.[59]

### Government ground assault on Baba Amr

[edit]

Heavy shelling continued on 29 February as government forces launched an operation to retake control of the Baba Amr neighbourhood. The Syrian government announced that the army was being sent into the area[23] and were "cleaning" it from rebel fighters, and that the operation would be over in a matter of hours.[24] Helicopter gunships were reported to have fired upon FSA fighters and civilians, according to people on the ground. At least 11 people were reported killed initially, including a family of five. Water supplies, electricity and communications were entirely cut off in the Baba Amr district according to opposition activists.[25] Heavy clashes continued throughout the day, as the Syrian Army's 4th Armoured Division sent in tanks and infantry.[9] Although the FSA Farouq Brigades defending Baba Amr stated that they would fight to the last man, it was reported that some of the FSA leaders already made an escape from the district.[60]

Baba Amr finally fell to government forces on the morning of 1 March, as the Free Syrian Army claimed they had made a "tactical retreat" from the area, after running low on weapons and ammunition. They made the decision to withdraw from Baba Amr and into other parts of Homs because "worsening humanitarian conditions, lack of food and medicine and water, electricity and communication cuts as well as shortages in weapons."[61] During their retreat, 17 rebels were captured by the military and executed on the spot.[62][63] The activist group Avaaz, for its part, claimed they were civilians and that they were beheaded, but this was not confirmed by other sources.[64] Afterwards, at least 10 Syrian civilians were killed by government forces, who had also turned the shopping centre into a detention area.[65] At a later date, an FSA commander stated that out of 250 rebel fighters defending the district 114 were killed in the fighting.[66]

### Karm al-Zeitoun massacre

[edit]

On 9 March, 30 tanks of the Syrian Army entered the quarter of Karm al-Zeitoun.[67] After this, it was reported that the Syrian Army had massacred 47 women and children in the district (26 children and 21 women), some of whom had their throats slit, according to activists. The opposition claimed that the main perpetrators behind the killings were the government paramilitary force the Shabiha.[68] The Syrian National Council (SNC), the main opposition group, called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the "massacre", which it said took place on 11 March. Hadi Abdallah, a Syrian activist, said: "Some of the children had been hit with blunt objects on their head, one little girl was mutilated and some women were raped before being killed," he said. Video footage was made of the bodies. The Syrian Government acknowledged that the massacre had indeed taken place, but claimed that "armed gangs" in the district killed them.[69] On 13 March, opposition activists posted a video on the internet purporting to show the army shelling the district of Karm al-Zeitoun.[70]

### March–April fighting

[edit]

On 20 March, 14 were reported killed from a new round of shelling, which continued into the next day, hitting the opposition stronghold neighborhoods of Khalidiya, Qussor, and Bayada in northern Homs.[71] The military also reportedly entered Khalidiya.[72] The opposition activist group, the L.C.C., stated that another 40 people were killed on the second day of the bombardment, including 25 in Khalidiya.[73]

On 24 March, most rebel forces retreated from the Bab Sbaa district, under intense shelling, as the military moved in and a number of civilians were also attempting to leave the neighborhood.[74] However, activists reported the neighbourhood was still under bombardment of heavy shelling as of 26 March.[75] Still, an activist stated that the FSA presence in the district was small and they were not in a position to do anything.[76] Another activist also later confirmed the capture of the district.[77]

On 2 April, about 40 FSA members captured the National Hospital in Juret al-Shayah district. They found 78 corpses stacked in a refrigerator.[78]

In renewed fighting on 8 April, mortars were described as falling "like rain" on the opposition-held neighbourhood of Khaldiyeh, according to an activist. A makeshift hospital was allegedly stacked with 40 bodies which the opposition were desperately trying to keep cool with fans. According to the activist, they may have to be buried "in public gardens" due to a lack of other feasible options.[79]

### Mid-April

[edit]

Since 14 April 2012, a nationwide cease-fire came in effect, though separate clashes continued in several friction points.

On 14 April, into the morning major shelling happened in the districts of Juret al-Shayah and al-Qarabis that violated the Kofi Annan truce implemented on 14 April.[80]

On 15 April, the Syrian Army was reported to be shelling the neighborhood of al-Waer from the nearby military academy. SANA also reported that terrorists killed 12 civilians in the Alawite, pro-government, neighborhood of al-Zahra in what seemed like an FSA attack on the neighborhood.[81]

On 16 April, heavy shelling was coming from three sides into al-Khalidiya. The government also stormed al-Bayada and took control of half of it. They were also trying to storm Juret al-Shayah and al-Qarabis, but were being repelled by the FSA.[82]

## Aftermath (summer 2013)

[edit]

On 27 July 2013, the Syrian Army took control of the Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Mosque located in Khalidyeh, one of the two last rebel stronghold in Homs. The quarter of Khalidyeh was now in the hand of the government forces at 60%.[83]

After the Battle of al-Qusayr (2013), the government launched an offensive against Homs. By the end of July it was reported that at least most of Homs was in government hands. Though state television said that the government was in control of the strategic enclave, some opposition fighters said they were still fighting from pockets of the city. One unnamed FSA Islamist brigade showed videos of its fighters without ammunition but strapped with suicide vests as their only remaining weapons. Other sources indicated that it was a matter of time that the government took control of the city if already had not done so.[84]

## Deaths

[edit]

The number of deaths during the artillery strikes and subsequent clashes has varied widely, with the lowest estimate for the first day of the bombardment being 181, while the highest was 416, which was later revised down.

While opposition sources have claimed that most of those killed were civilians, government sources stated that out of the 500 reportedly killed by 13 February, most were either insurgents or government troops.[85]

Journalist Marie Colvin in her last report before her death, said that due to the lack of identified military targets, many civilian buildings were damaged. According to her report, the casualties she had seen were about 80% civilians and the rest were FSA fighters.[86]

### Day-by-day

[edit]

Note: No precise casualty counts have been confirmed by any independent agencies

Source  | Casualties  | Day

|
|

L.C.C.  | 181–212[87] | 3/4 February
S.N.C.  | 260[28] | 3/4 February
Locals  | 290[88] | 3/4 February
Al Arabiya  | 337[33] | 3/4 February
S.O.H.R.  | 48[26] | 3/4 February
L.C.C.  | 29[89] | 5 February
Various  | 42[90]–95[11] | 6 February
L.C.C.  | 19[11] | 7 February
Various  | 53–67 killed[91] | 8 February
Various  | 57[47]–110[46] | 9 February
L.C.C.  | 16[92] | 10 February
Various  | 7[93]–31[94] | 11 February
Various  | 23[95] | 12 February
Various  | 3–11[96] | 13 February
Various  | 6[97]–9[98] | 14 February
L.C.C.  | 4[99] | 15 February
L.C.C.  | 4[100] | 16 February
L.C.C.  | 17[101] | 17 February
L.C.C.  | 5[102] | 18 February
L.C.C.  | 10[103] | 19 February
Various  | 9[104]–13[105] | 20 February
Various  | 45[106]–49[107] | 21 February
L.C.C.  | 30[108] | 22 February
L.C.C.  | 4[109] | 23 February
L.C.C.  | 32[110] | 24 February
L.C.C.  | 36[111] | 25 February
L.C.C.  | 23[112] | 26 February
Various  | 64–104[59] | 27 February
L.C.C.  | 50[113] | 28 February
L.C.C.  | 16[114] | 29 February
L.C.C.  | 22[115] | 1 March

### Total

[edit]

Source  | Casualties  | Period

|
|

Various  | 321[26] | 3–5 February
S.O.H.R.  | 400[116] | 3–8 February
AI | 246[91] | 3–8 February
Sawasiah  | 300[117] | 3–8 February
H.R.C.  | 559[118] | 3–10 February
L.C.C.  | 427[119] | 3–11 February
Various  | 500–754[48] | 3–13 February
Various  | 700–1,000[17] | 3 February – 1 March

## Reactions to 2012 incident

[edit]

Government

The Syrian Interior Ministry stated that in criminal groups escalated their aggressions and criminal acts "perpetrating heinous crimes that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians, booby-trapping private buildings, kidnapping and looting private and public properties". A statement by the Ministry explained that "the competent authorities practiced the utmost self-restraint and gave terrorists a number of opportunities to return to the road of right.. but they refused and escalated their terror instigated by foreign sides.. all of this pushed the authorities to intervene and deal with them to restore security and stability to Homs".[120]

Opposition

Abu Rami Alhomsy of the Syrian Revolutionary General Commission claimed the shelling in lasted more than three hours. "It was a normal day for a demonstration but last night they started shelling this neighbourhood. We have many injuries. Many women and children have been killed and injured. I am hiding in the street with many people around me. They are shooting into here from an outside area."[121] The Syrian government denied that the shelling occurred and that it was a fabrication by opposition groups to try to influence a UNSC resolution that sought to condemn the Syrian government the same day. It also accused the armed groups in Homs of killing soldiers and civilians.[22]

International

Many news sources, and the governments of Turkey and France, have described the attack as a "massacre".[122][123] In response, protesters attacked Syrian embassies in a number of cities worldwide.[124] The United Nations Security Council voted on an Arab League proposal to resolve problems in Syria following these events. China and Russia vetoed the resolution.[33][125] EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton has stated: "I am appalled by the reports of the brutal attacks by the Syrian armed forces in Homs. I condemn in the strongest terms these acts perpetrated by the Syrian regime against its own civilians The international community must speak with one voice, demanding an end to the bloodshed and urging Assad to step aside and allow a democratic transition."[126]

The UN chief, Ban Ki-moon, says he has received "grisly reports" that Syrian government forces are arbitrarily executing, imprisoning and torturing people in Homs after opposition fighters in the city retreated.

"A major assault on Homs took place yesterday," Ban told the UN General Assembly in New York on 2 March. "Civilian losses have clearly been heavy. We continue to receive grisly reports of summary executions, arbitrary detentions and torture. This atrocious assault is all the more appalling for having been waged by the government itself, systematically attacking its own people". Activists said that government forces were rounding up people aged between 14-50 and executing them in batches.[127] UN rights chief Navi Pillay called for urgent international action to protect civilians in Syria:

> I am appalled by the Syrian government's wilful assault on Homs, and its use of artillery and other heavy weaponry in what appear to be indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas in the city. The failure of the Security Council to agree on firm collective action appears to have fuelled the Syrian government's readiness to massacre its own people in an effort to crush dissent."[128]

Tunisia said it would expel the Syrian ambassador in response to what it called a "bloody massacre" and announced it no longer recognises the ruling government.[129]

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE agreed to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, and expel the Syrian ambassadors to their respective countries, in protest at the Syrian governments crackdown, particularly in Homs.[130][131] Germany, Spain, Belgium and France also announced the withdrawal of ambassadors from Syria.[132] The Netherlands also recalled its ambassador.[133] The United Kingdom followed these countries and also recalled their ambassador.[134]

In Libya, protesters took over the Syrian embassy and the official National Transitional Council handed control of the embassy to the opposition or "revolutionaries".[135] Syrians residing in Libya protested outside the country's Russian embassy in Tripoli, eventually hoisting a Syrian opposition flag.[136] Libyans and Syrians also rallied outside the Chinese embassy in Libya, "to denounce China’s decision to veto a UN resolution that would seek to end the violence and bloodshed in Syria."[137] Libya also expelled the ambassador for the al-Assad government; the ambassador's car was attacked by unarmed Syrian protesters as he fled Tripoli.[138]

This came after the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron accused the government of butchering its own people. This is while 10 civilians were said to have been executed outside a shop in Bab Amr. Speaking in Brussels, he said:

"The Assad regime is butchering its own people. The history of Homs is being written in the blood of its citizens."
"The situation in Syria is absolutely appalling and it is vitally important that there is humanitarian access into Homs and elsewhere so that people can get the help they need."
"But above all, what I think matters, is building the evidence and the picture so we hold this criminal regime to account and make sure that it is held to account for the crimes it is committing against its people and that one day, no matter how long it takes, there will be a day of reckoning for this dreadful regime."[139]

The French President (at the time) Nicolas Sarkozy accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of seeking to "wipe Homs from the map", comparing his campaign to the Libyan government's attacks on the city of Benghazi. "Bashar al-Assad is lying in a shameful way, he wants to wipe Homs from the map like (former Libyan leader Muammar) Gaddafi wanted to wipe Benghazi from the map," Sarkozy said.[140] Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that the government had "broken all the limits of barbarism. And when I see the Syrian president paraded around this voting station in Damascus for this phony referendum, it makes you deeply indignant." Juppe said he felt "immensely frustrated" at difficulties in obtaining security guarantees to enable wounded civilians and Western journalists to be evacuated from Homs.[141]

In other countries, Syrian expatriates protested against the attack. Syrian embassies in Egypt and Germany were attacked, with protesters setting fire to part of the embassy[142] and at least 30 people storming the premises, respectively. There was more than 150 protesters chanting outside the London embassy at 3:00.[121] Around 50 mostly Syrian protesters broke into their country's embassy in Greece on that morning, smashing windows and painting anti-government slogans on the walls, a police source told the AFP. Twelve Syrians and an Iraqi were arrested afterwards.[143] In Kuwait, witnesses said demonstrators stormed the Syrian embassy compound breaking windows and hoisting the flag of the opposition.[144] The Syrian Embassy in Australia was also damaged and ransacked.[145] There were also protests outside the Syrian embassy in the United States.[146]

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[edit]

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## External links

[edit]

* In Cold Blood, Human Rights Watch, 10 April 2012.

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World reaction|

* International reactions to the Syrian civil war
* Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war
* Reactions to the fall of the Assad regime

Specific groups and countries|

* Russian involvement
* Russian intervention
* Turkish involvement
* Turkish occupation of northern Syria
* Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone
* Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria
* US intervention in the Syrian civil war
* 2023 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria
* Kurdish Area in Syria
* Syrian Democratic Forces
* Rojava conflict
* U.S. task force

Agreements and dialogues|

* Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria
* Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria

Transitional phase|

* Syrian transitional government

Timeline

| Background|

* 1963 coup
* 1966 coup
* Corrective Movement
* Islamist uprising
* Latakia protests
* Damascus Spring
* Qamishli riots
* Syrian occupation of Lebanon
* Damascus Declaration
* Human rights in Syria
* 2010s in Syria political history
* Arab Spring

|

2011
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Syrian revolution
* Death of Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb
* Siege of Daraa
* Siege of Baniyas
* May Talkalakh siege
* Siege of Rastan and Talbiseh
* June Jisr ash-Shughur operation
* Siege of Hama
* Siege of Homs
* Jabal al-Zawiya operation
* Siege of Latakia
* Deir ez-Zor clashes (2011–2014)
* Rif Dimashq clashes (Nov 2011-Mar 2012)
* Battle of Zabadani
* Battle of Douma
* Daraa Governorate clashes
* Battle of Rastan
* Shayrat and Tiyas airbase ambush
* Idlib Governorate clashes
* December Jabal al-Zawiya massacres

2012
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* January al-Midan bombing
* Battle of Rastan
* First Battle of Idlib
* Battle of al-Qusayr
* Idlib Governorate operation (Apr)
* Battle of Taftanaz
* May Battle of Rastan
* Houla massacre
* Battle of al-Haffah
* Al-Qubeir massacre
* Battle of Tremseh
* Battle of Damascus
* 18 July 2012 Damascus bombing
* Battle of Aleppo
* Battle of Anadan
* Siege of Base 46
* Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–2013)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Aug-Oct)
* Darayya massacre
* Battle of Khirbet Al-Joz
* Battle of Maarrat al-Numan
* First siege of Wadi Deif
* Battle of Harem
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012–Feb 2013)
* Battle of Darayya
* Aqrab massacre
* Hama offensive
* Halfaya massacre
* Battle of Darayya
* Quneitra Governorate clashes
* Talbiseh bakery massacre

2013
Jan–Apr
May–Dec|

* Battle of Safira
* Battle of Shadadeh
* Damascus offensive
* Raqqa campaign (2012–2013)
* Battle of Raqqa (Mar)
* Daraa offensive
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Mar–Aug)
* Battle of Jdaidet al-Fadl
* Ghouta chemical attack
* Al-Qusayr offensive
* Battle of al-Qusayr
* Bayda and Baniyas massacres
* Hama offensive
* Hatla massacre
* Khan al-Assal chemical attack
* Khan al-Assal massacre
* Adra massacre
* Battle of Ras al-Ayn
* Battle of Tell Abyad
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Sep–Nov)
* Aleppo offensive (Oct–Dec)
* Battle of al-Yaarubiyah
* Battle of Tell Hamis and Tell Brak (Dec–Jan)

2014
Jan–Jul
Aug–Dec|

* First Inter-rebel conflict
* Battle of Markada
* Deir ez-Zor offensive
* Battle of Morek
* Daraa offensive (Feb–May)
* Maan massacre
* Al-Otaiba ambush
* Idlib offensive
* Battle of Hosn
* Latakia Offensive
* Battle of Al-Malihah
* Kafr Zita chemical attack
* Second siege of Wadi Deif
* Qalamoun offensive (Jun–Aug)
* Battle of Arsal
* First Battle of the Shaer gas field
* Eastern Syria offensive
* Battle of Tabqa Airbase
* Northern Aleppo offensive (Feb–Jul)
* Hama Offensive
* Quneitra offensive
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Aug–Nov)
* Siege of Kobanî
* Homs school bombing
* Daraa offensive (Oct)
* Al-Safira offensive
* Idlib Raid
* Second Inter-Rebel Conflict
* Second Battle of the Shaer gas field
* Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Dec)

2015
Jan–Jul
Aug–Dec|

* Air Force An-26 crash
* Daraa Offensive (Jan)
* Southern Syria Offensive
* Eastern al-Hasakah offensive
* Battle of Sarrin (Mar–Apr)
* Battle of Sarrin (Jun–Jul)
* Battle of Bosra
* Idlib Offensive
* Second Battle of Idlib
* Battle of Nasib Border Crossing
* Battle of Yarmouk Camp
* Western al-Hasakah offensive
* Palmyra offensive (May)
* Qamishli bombings
* Tell Abyad offensive
* Kobanî massacre
* Quneitra offensive (Jun)
* Palmyra offensive (Jul–Aug)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Sep)
* Northwestern Syria offensive (Oct–Nov)
* Aleppo offensive (Oct–Dec)
* Al-Hawl offensive
* Homs offensive (Nov-Dec)
* East Aleppo offensive (2015–2016)
* 2015–2016 Latakia offensive
* Tishrin Dam offensive
* Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown

2016
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Second Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Jan)
* January Sayyidah Zaynab bombings
* Northern Aleppo offensive (Feb)
* Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (Feb–Mar)
* Al-Shaddadi offensive
* February Homs bombings
* February Sayyidah Zaynab bombings
* Khanasir offensive
* Battle of Tel Abyad
* Battle of Maarrat al-Numan
* Battle of Qamishli (Apr)
* Northern Aleppo offensive (Mar–Jun)
* Palmyra offensive (Mar)
* East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (Apr–May)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Apr–May)
* Northern Raqqa offensive (May)
* May Jableh & Tartous bombings
* Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (Jun)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Jun–Oct)
* Manbij offensive
* Tokhar massacre
* Southern Aleppo campaign
* Battle of al-Rai (Aug)
* Operation Euphrates Shield
* Aleppo summer campaign
* Western al-Bab offensive (Sep)
* 5 September bombings
* September Deir ez-Zor air raid
* September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack
* Aleppo offensive (Sep–Oct)
* Dabiq offensive
* Western al-Bab offensive (Oct–Nov)
* Khan al-Shih offensive (Oct–Nov)
* Raqqa campaign
* Battle of al-Bab
* Aleppo offensive (Nov-Dec)
* Palmyra offensive (Dec)

2017
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Wadi Barada offensive (2016–2017)
* January Azaz bombing
* Desert campaign (Dec 16–Apr 17)
* Idlib clashes (Jan–Mar)
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Jan–Feb)
* Daraa offensive (Feb–Jun)
* Southwestern Daraa offensive (Feb)
* Qaboun offensive
* Palmyra offensive
* East Aleppo offensive (Jan–Apr)
* March Damascus bombings
* Al-Jinah airstrike
* Hama offensive (Mar–Apr)
* Battle of Tabqa
* Khan Shaykhun chemical attack
* Shayrat missile strike
* Aleppo bombing
* April Turkish airstrikes
* East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (Apr–May)
* Desert campaign (May–Jul)
* Maskanah Plains offensive
* East Hama offensive
* Battle of Raqqa
* Daraa offensive (Jun)
* Southern Raqqa offensive (Jun)
* Jobar offensive (Jun–Aug)
* Quneitra offensive (Jun)
* Idlib clashes (Jul)
* Central campaign
* Qalamoun (Jul–Aug)
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Sep 17–Mar 18)
* Hama offensive (Sep)
* Northwestern campaign (Oct 17–Feb 18)
* Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate
* Battle of Harasta
* Eastern campaign (Sep–Dec)
* Euphrates Crossing offensive
* Mayadin offensive
* Battle of Deir ez-Zor (Sep–Nov)
* Abu Kamal offensive
* Beit Jinn offensive

2018
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Operation Olive Branch
* Battle of Khasham
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Feb–Apr)
* Southern Damascus offensive (Jan–Feb)
* Syrian Liberation Front–Tahrir al-Sham conflict
* Southern Damascus offensive (Mar)
* Douma chemical attack
* Missile strikes (Apr)
* Northern Homs offensive (Apr–May)
* Eastern Qalamoun offensive (Apr)
* Southern Damascus offensive (Apr–May)
* Deir ez-Zor clashes (Apr)
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (May–Jun)
* As-Suwayda offensive (Jun)
* Southern offensive
* As-Suwayda attacks
* As-Suwayda (Aug-Nov)
* Qamishli clashes (Sep)
* Missile strikes (Sep)
* Northern border clashes

2019
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* Manbij bombing
* Battle of Baghuz Fawqani
* ISIL insurgency in Deir-ez-Zor
* Dêrik prison escape attempt
* Tell Rifaat clashes
* Northwestern offensive (Apr–Aug)
* June bombings
* Hass refugee camp bombing
* Missile strikes (Aug)
* Turkish offensive into northeast
* Barisha raid
* November bombings
* Israeli missile strikes (Nov)
* Qah missile strike
* Northwestern offensive (Dec 19–Mar 20)
* US airstrikes

2020
Jan–Dec|

* COVID-19 pandemic
* Afrin bombing
* Idlib Governorate clashes
* Kafr-Takharim airstrike
* Ayn Issa clashes
* Deir ez-Zor ambush

2021
Jan–Dec|

* Siege of Qamishli and Al-Hasakah
* Missile strikes (Jan)
* US airstrike (Feb)
* Battle of Qamishli (Apr)
* US airstrike (Jun)
* Daraa clashes
* Tahrir al-Sham–Junud al-Sham conflict

2022
Jan–Dec|

* Battle of al-Hasakah
* Ahrar al-Sham–Levant Front clashes
* Jabal al-Bishrī clashes
* Jarqli airstrikes
* Northern Aleppo clashes (Oct)
* Operation Claw-Sword
* Northwest clashes (Dec)

2023
Jan-Dec|

* Al-Sukhnah attack
* Damascus airstrike
* Hama attack
* Northern border clashes

2024
Jan–Oct
Nov–present|

* Opposition offensives
* Deir ez-Zor offensive
* Battle of Aleppo
* Aleppo University Hospital airstrike
* Southern offensive
* Operation Dawn of Freedom
* Manbij offensive
* Al-Mustariha strike
* Kobani clashes
* Hama offensive
* Homs offensive
* Palmyra offensive
* Fall of Damascus
* Fall of the Assad regime
* Western Syria clashes
* Israeli invasion

Spillover|

| Israel and Golan Heights:|

* March 2017 incident
* February 2018 incident
* May 2018 Israel–Iran incidents

|

Iraq:|

* Akashat ambush
* Operation al-Shabah
* April 2014 Iraqi border airstrike

Jordanian border incidents|

* April 2014 Jordanian border airstrike

Lebanon:|

* Lebanese border clashes
* Battle of Sidon
* Iranian embassy bombing in Beirut
* North Lebanon clashes
* Qalamoun (Jul–Aug 2017)

Turkey:|

* December 2011 Turkish border clash
* 2012 Turkish F-4 Phantom shootdown
* 2012 Turkish border clashes
* 2013 Reyhanlı car bombings
* January 2014 Turkish attack in Syria
* Assassination of Andrei Karlov
* Russian Air Force Al-Bab incident
* 2020 Balyun airstrikes
* Operation Spring Shield

Elsewhere:|

* Deir ez-Zor missile strike (Iran)

Belligerents

| Ba'athist regime|

| Politics of Ba'athist Syria|

* Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region
* Syrian Social Nationalist Party
* Arab Socialist Movement
* Syrian Communist Party

|

Military and militias|

* Syrian Armed Forces
* Syrian Resistance
* PFLP-GC
* al-Quds Brigade
* Palestine Liberation Army

Foreign support|

* Hezbollah involvement
* Iranian involvement
* Liwa Fatemiyoun
* Russian involvement
* medical facility targeting
* military intervention
* Wagner Group
* Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition
* Popular Mobilization Forces

Opposition|

| Interim government|

* National Coalition
* Local Coordination Committees
* Syrian National Council
* Supreme Council of the Syrian Revolution
* National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change
* Syrian Revolution General Commission
* Syrian Support Group
* Adopt a Revolution
* Syrian Patriotic Group

|

Opposition militias|

* Syrian National Army
* Free Syrian Army
* National Front for Liberation
* Army of Glory
* Authenticity and Development Front
* Army of Free Tribes
* Revolutionary Commando Army
* Muslim Brotherhood in Syria
* Grey Wolves

Foreign support|

* US intervention
* Jordanian intervention
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Turkey

Autonomous Administration
of North and East Syria|

| DFNS Government|

* Democratic Union Party
* Kurdish National Council
* Smaller political parties

|

SDF militias|

* People's Protection Units
* Women's Protection Units
* Anti-Terror Units
* Al-Sanadid Forces
* Army of Revolutionaries
* SDF military councils
* Syriac Military Council
* Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa
* Northern Democratic Brigade

Support|

* Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
* Kurdistan Workers' Party
* International Freedom Battalion
* Sinjar Resistance Units
* Êzîdxan Women's Units

Islamists|

| Islamic State|

* Military activity of ISIL
* Dokumacılar
* Al-Barakah
* Khalid ibn al-Walid Army
* Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade
* Islamic Muthanna Movement
* Jaysh al-Jihad
* Jund al-Aqsa
* Group of the One and Only
* Liwa Dawud
* Liwa Aqab al-Islami
* Katibah Nusantara
* Katiba al-Bittar al-Libi
* Al-Khansaa Brigade

|

al-Qaeda and allies|

* Al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (Khorasan group, Suqour al-Ezz) Jaysh Muhammad in Bilad al-Sham
* Tahrir al-Sham
* Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
* Caucasus Emirate
* Ajnad al-Kavkaz
* Junud al-Makhdi
* Rouse the Believers Operations Room (Ansar al-Tawhid (Firqat al-Ghuraba), Hurras al-Din, Ansar al-Din Front (Harakat Sham al-Islam), Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan)
* Jaish al-Haramoun
* Jaysh al-Sunna
* Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (Green Battalion)
* Mujahideen Shura Council
* Malhama Tactical
* Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
* Katibat Jabal al-Islam
* Jama'at Ansar al-Furqan in Bilad al Sham
* Ghuraba al-Sham
* Taliban (Pakistani Taliban, Imam Bukhari Jamaat)
* Fatah al-Islam
* Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance (Liwaa al-Umma)

People

* Ammar Abdulhamid
* Ali al-Abdallah
* Adnan al-Aroor
* al-Assad family
* Bashar
* Maher
* Rifaat
* Rami Makhlouf
* Hafez Makhlouf
* Riad al-Asaad
* Anwar al-Bunni
* Fahd Jassem al-Freij
* Suheil al-Hassan
* Haitham al-Maleh
* Moaz al-Khatib
* Kamal al-Labwani
* Hamza al-Khateeb
* Tal al-Mallohi
* Fida al-Sayed
* Riad al-Turk
* Khaled Khoja
* Ammar al-Qurabi
* Suheir Atassi
* Ali Sadreddine Al-Bayanouni
* Aref Dalila
* Farid Ghadry
* Burhan Ghalioun
* Razan Ghazzawi
* Ghassan Hitto
* Salim Idris
* Randa Kassis
* Abdul Halim Khaddam
* Michel Kilo
* Bassma Kodmani
* Ali Habib Mahmud
* Ali Mahmoud Othman
* Ibrahim Qashoush
* Dawoud Rajiha
* Yassin al-Haj Saleh
* Bouthaina Shaaban
* Abdulbaset Sieda
* Riad Seif
* Fadwa Souleimane
* Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid
* Yaser Tabbara
* Razan Zaitouneh
* Rami Jarrah
* Abdurrahman Mustafa
* Fadlallah al-Haji

Related

| Elections|

* 2011 local elections
* 2012 parliamentary election
* 2014 presidential election
* 2015 Northern local elections
* 2016 parliamentary election
* 2017 Northern local elections
* 2017 Northern regional elections
* 2018 local elections
* 2020 parliamentary election
* 2021 presidential election

|

Issues|

* Casualties
* Cities and towns
* Chemical weapons
* Damaged heritage sites
* Foreign involvement
* Human rights violations
* Humanitarian aid
* International demonstrations and protests
* International reactions
* Massacres
* Mass graves
* Refugees
* Sectarianism and minorities
* Status of the Golan Heights
* Spillover in Lebanon
* Syrian government reactions

Peace process|

* Arab League monitors
* Friends of Syria Group
* Kofi Annan peace plan
* UN supervision mission
* Lakhdar Brahimi peace plan
* U.S.–Russia peace proposals
* 39th G8 summit
* UN Security Council Resolution 2118
* Geneva II conference
* 2015 Zabadani cease-fire agreement
* Vienna talks
* 2016 Geneva talks
* Idlib demilitarization (2018–present)
* First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal
* Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal
* Syrian Constitutional Committee

Investigations/legal cases|

* Investigations
* International Commission
* Chemical weapons
* War crimes cases
* Germany
* Canada + Netherlands vs Syria

Related topics|

* Exclusive mandate
* Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference
* Syria Files
* Syrian detainee report
* Syrian media coverage
* 2015 European migrant crisis
* Syrian civil war in popular culture

* Category

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