Coordinates: 34°54′55″N 36°44′08″E / 34.91525°N 36.735485°E
| First Battle of Rastan | |||||||
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| Part of the Syrian civil war | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Units involved | |||||||
| Unknown |
1st Armoured Division
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1,000 Army defectors[3] |
900 soldiers 250 tanks and armored vehicles | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 10 killed (rebel claim)[4] |
13[5]–80[6] killed 32 wounded[7] | ||||||
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120 civilians killed[8] 3,000 opposition supporters arrested[9] | |||||||
A battle for control of Rastan, a city of 60,000 residents in Homs Governorate, Syria, occurred from 27 September to 1 October 2011. In late September, there were reports of numerous Syrian Army defections in the area, following which the Free Syrian Army took control of Rastan. After a four-day battle, the city was retaken by the Syrian Army.
Background[]
On 28 May 2011, after major protests, the Syrian Army launched an operation in Rastan and the neighboring town of Talbiseh, which resulted in the suppression of anti-government protests and numerous deaths. The Syrian Army met some armed opposition during the operation,[10] but had gained control of the city by 4 June.
Battle[]
In late September, there were reports of many Syrian Army defections in Rastan, and the Free Syrian Army claimed to have destroyed 17 armoured vehicles during clashes in the city,[11] using RPGs and booby traps.[12] The assault was also, the opposition claimed, to have been supported by Syrian Air Force jets.[13]
On 1 October, the Syrian Army took control of Rastan, killing 120 civilians and opposition forces according to opposition sources[14] and arresting 3,000 suspected opposition members.[9]
Aftermath[]
Insurgent activity continued in the area for months after the major clashes ended. On 24 November, the military conducted an operation in Rastan, during which they killed 16 gunmen and captured a large cache of weapons.[15]
On 1 February 2012, the FSA and opposition activists reported that the FSA had gained full control of Rastan after four days of intense clashes.[16][17] Photos were posted on the internet showing FSA fighters in the streets of Rastan, standing guard.[18]
References[]
- ↑ Syrian forces pound western city in battle against defectors
- ↑ http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/michaelweiss/100132839/the-view-from-damascus-assad-regime-is-weak-and-robbing-banks-to-finance-repression/
- ↑ Syrian tanks pound anti-Assad fighters for 2nd day
- ↑ http://gulfnews.com/news/region/syria/signs-of-civil-war-in-syria-1.883828
- ↑ 13 killed (27 September–1 October),[1][2], total of 13 reported killed
- ↑ Defected brigade says it has killed 80 members of Assad’s forces
- ↑ Fri, 30 Sep 2011, 09:37 GMT+3 - Syria
- ↑ Pro-Assad forces regain rebel Syrian town: agency
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Syrian troops arrest 3,000 people in Rastan
- ↑ http://www.hrw.org/node/102843/section/6
- ↑ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cf5a4510-eaa9-11e0-aeca-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rss
- ↑ http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/thousands-of-troops-desert-from-syrian-army
- ↑ http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/28/world/meast/syria-unrest/
- ↑ Pro-Assad forces regain rebel Syrian town: agency
- ↑ Some 20 killed in 24 hours across Syria: report
- ↑ Syrian troops push towards Damascus
- ↑ Syrian troops push further into Damascus suburbs as defectors take control of central town
- ↑ Syrian death toll from Monday at 100 as rebels take central town of Rastan
External links[]
- We Live as in War, Human Rights Watch, 11 November 2011
- By All Means Necessary!, Human Rights Watch, 16 December 2011
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The original article can be found at Battle of Rastan (2011) and the edit history here.