Rif Dimashq clashes (November 2011–March 2012)

2011–2012 Damascus clashes
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Date November 3, 2011 - ongoing Location Damascus & Rif Dimashq provinces, Syria Result Ongoing Damascus centre under government control Protests largely supressed in the city Parts of Damascus city taken by rebel forces, although they were later pushed back Opposition still present in outskirts of Damascus around the capital
Belligerents
Syrian National Council Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army	Syrian government Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army 4th Armoured Division Republican Guard File:Hezbollah Flag.jpg Hezbollah
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Col. Khaled Hammud	Gen. Maher al-Assad Gen. Mohammed al-Awwad † Gen. Hassan Ibrahim † Gen. Rajeh Mahmoud †
Strength
hundreds	2,000 soldiers, 50 tanks
Casualties and losses
at least 83+ killed	at least 443*+ killed
Few hundred protesters and civilians killed
Includes 100 army deaths from a statement by the FSA leader

2011–2012 Damascus clashes were a series of clashes in and around Damascus, the capital of Syria, since November 2011 and until the cease fire, announced on April 14, 2012. The violence was part of the wider Syrian Civil War. Large anti-government protests have taken place in the suburbs and center of Damascus, with the situation esculating when members of the Free Syrian Army started attacking military targets in November.

In January 2012, parts of rural Damascus and the Damascus suburbs started to fall under opposition control. At the police hospital in Harasta, the staff said most of rural Damascus was not controlled by the government forces and gunmen were kidnapping and killing those affiliated with the government in those areas. "Any car plate that belongs to the government cannot drive inside Harasta, we as doctors cannot go, they hijacked one of our cars a week ago," said a doctor.

On 27 January, the Syrian Army launched a military operation which successfully restored government authority in the Damascus governorate. On 11 February, Zabadani, one of the last opposition strongholds in Rif Dimashq, was retaken by the Syrian army, but the FSA remained present in Rif Dimashq.

However, fighting still continued, when on 15 February when FSA fighters where seen on the streets of a district in the Damascus centre, protecting opposition protesters. A university student said "They have destroyed the facades of shops and turned back students heading to school. The raids are concentrating on Dahar al-Mustaha and Haret al-Bustan," and at least 1,000 troops with along with armoured personnel carriers were deployed, looking for FSA fighters. It was described as "the closest deployment of troops to the centre of the capital in an 11-month uprising".

Large Anti-government protests were still ongoing even after the army offensive. On 18 February, at least two protesters were reportedly killed in a huge protest and funeral march for three protesters slain by security forces in the recent days before. In the central district of Mazzeh, near the Syrian Presidential Palace, the anti-government demonstration reportedly attracted tens of thousands of pro-democary protesters. Security forces then confronted them with gunfire and tear gas, which was said to have killed and injured protesters. The number of dead was risen to 3, The number of protesters was put at up to 30,000.

On 12 March 2012, major clashes were reported in central Damascus between the FSA and Loyalist army for the first time. Battles erupted in the Rukn Al-Din area in central Damascus. Gunshots were heard throughout the city, according to witnesses.

Violence during protests

Large anti-government protests were shot at by soldiers loyal to Bashar al-Assad, killing 23 protesters in a single day. More were killed in October and November. 10 more protesters were killed around Damascus, including an 14-year-old boy.

Fourteen others were killed in house-to-house raids and in protests in Damascus suburbs, and an activist in the eastern Damascus suburb of Harasta, who gave his name as Assem, said three deserters were killed after they abandoned military units which fired live ammunition at a demonstration of 1,500-2,000 people in the al-Zar neighborhood. "Security police could not put down the demonstration. The eight soldiers defected when Republican Guards and the Fourth Armored Division were sent in," he said.

On 9 December, Two children—aged 10 and 12—were among others killed by Syrian security forces on Friday in Homs and on the outskirts of Damascus, rights groups said. Another person died on 13 December,

On 29 December, Syrian security forces opened fire on tens of thousands protesting outside a mosque in a Damascus suburb, called Douma close to a municipal building that members of the Arab League monitoring mission were believed to be visiting. At least four protesters died. Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said about 20,000 people were protesting outside the Grand Mosque in the Damascus suburb of Douma when troops opened fire. Cars belonging to the Arab League monitors were seen in front of a municipal building close to the mosque, he said.Abdul-Rahman and other activists said the monitors were barred by security officials from entering Douma following the killings, after the situation deteriorated.

On 7 January 2012, 14 protesters were said to have died in anti-government protests, despite a bombing on the same day.

According to Al Jazeera, protesters in the suburbs of Damascus gather every evening to make their support for the Free Syrian Army known.

Clashes

Sporadic clashes

On 16 November, according to opposition sources, Syrian army deserters attacked a military intelligence office in Harasta, a suburb of the capital Damascus, killing six soldiers and wounding more than 20. "The Syrian Free Army struck with rockets and RPGs" said Omar Idlibi, the Beirut-based spokesperson for the opposition Syrian Local Co-ordination Committees. It was also said that all the army defectors involved returned after the attack. All other attacks targeted military checkpoints in the suburbs of Douma, Qaboun and Arabeen and Saqba, killing 3 soldiers. A Russian official said that the outbreak of fighting in Damascus "looks like a civil war."

On 20 November, a loud explosion was reported to have occurred in the heart of Damascus, the Syrian capital, amid reports of a grenade attack on offices of the ruling Baath Party, the boldest attack to date by army defectors. The Free Syrian Army later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they fired two rocket-propelled grenades at the building.

On 4 December, the Pro-Government SANA agency reported that a funeral procession was held on Sunday for 13 soldiers who were killed by "terrorists". It claimed that "The martyrs were targeted by the armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Damascus countryside."

On 23 December, Syrian state TV claimed that two explosions at security bases in Damascus were caused by suicide bombers, a number of military personnel and civilians were killed. At least 44 people were reported killed and 55 others wounded. State television claimed that "several soldiers and a large number of civilians" had been killed in the bombings although an exact figure was hard to ascertain.

State TV SANA claimed that a journalist and a host on state-owned Radio Damascus and an editor with the state-owned daily Al-Thawra, was shot in the head by unidentified gunmen on Friday in his home in the Damascus suburb of Darya. State television reported that the journalist was targeted by "armed terrorist groups."

On 6 January 2012, SANA claimed that another suicide bomber killed at least 26 when a police building or intelligence building was attacked, however, the oppositon pointed the finger at the Government, saying "this is a plot staged by the government to deter thousands of people that were planning to converge on that same spot to call for the international community to step in and enforce a no-fly zone and enforce also a dramatic of the regimeeral, Mohammed Abdul-Hamid al-Awwad, claiming he was "assassinated" while he was headed for work in the Al-Ghoutta area of Damascus. His driver, who was injured, said that "As we were heading to the Brigadier General's military unit, we saw a taxi on the right of the road…it overtook us and then blocked our way. Four gunmen started shooting at us. Brigadier al-Awwad was shot in the head and I was also injured.

The Syrian government claimed that "terrorists" had attacked a military bus in the area of the Damascus countryside with a roadside bomb and gunfire, killing four soldiers and wounding eight. Six more soldiers (including a colonel) were killed in battles around the province, according to the Syrian government.

On 19 January, a Syrian security officer was killed after the bombing of his car in al-Tadhamun neighborhood in Damascus.

On 22 January admist a battle in the surbub of Douma two officers and a soldier of the Syrian Army and a deserter was killed in the Talfita area.

According to the Syrian Government, Brigadier General Hassan Abdullah al-Ibrahim and a First Lieutenant were killed when their car was fired on in the Damascus countryside.

Syrian Army offensive

On 27 January, the Syrian army stormed Douma.

According to SANA seven more soldiers died on 28 January around Damascus admist the offensive. State media claims that they were ambushed. Later SANA claimed that the bus was ambushed near Douma, and it was carrying army officers, in which seven of the officers died.

On 29 January the Syrian army launched an offensive, trying to retake some of the Damascus suburbs under opposition control. Amateur video appeared to show tanks rolling in to Al-Ghouta and Zamalka to the east. Al-Ghouta is historically known for being a hub of dissent against the Assad government, and the crackdown appeared to be an attempt "to avoid any Tahrir Square-style mass movements,". According to activists, 14 civilians and 5 opposition fighters were killed in shelling of neighbourhoods. 2,000 pro-assad forces and 50 tanks and armoured vechiles took part in the offensive. However, they met fierce resistance and six government soldiers, including two officers, were killed and six wounded in the opposition controlled suburb of Sahnaya when their bus was blown up by a remote-controlled bomb. Some activists claimed that the fighting in Damascus was not unusual, and there wasn't any tanks in the city, while others said that it was "the worst fighting around the capital in the 10-month uprising." Clashes were also reported near Damascus airport, leading to its closure. "It’s urban war. There are bodies in the street,” one activist, speaking from Kfar Batna told Reuters. Other Damascus suburbs that have come under fire from heavy artillery and mortar rounds from government forces include Douma, Saaba, Irbin and Hamuriyeh, activists said. "The more the regime uses the army, the more soldiers defect," Ahmed al-Khatib, a local rebel council member on the Damascus outskirts, told the AFP news agency. A spokesperson for the rebel Free Syrian Army, which boasts 40,000 men and whose leadership is in Turkey, said that the fighting came a day after "a large wave of defections," with 50 officers and soldiers turning their back on Assad. At least two generals and other "high-ranking officers" reportedly defected to the opposition.

After two days of clashes, oppositions and FSA sources confirmed that the Syrian army seized back control of some of the eastern suburbs of Damascus from the rebels and started to make house to house arrests. Hamouriyeh was taken by the Syrian government, as was Kfar Batna by the end of the clashes. FSA and government forces still fought in the suburb of Saqba, according to an activist. However, the Free Syrian army regained control of at least one suburb, Douma, and destroyed one tank and also killing three government snipers. Another 11 soldiers had been killed in the government offensive on the Al-Ghouta suburb, as well as six civilians.

On the night of 30 January, the fighting subsided as Syrian army extanded their control in Ghouta. The military also advanced through Saqba. An activist said that the FSA moved out of the suburbs and that the Syrian army arrested 200 opposition members in Hammourya. The death toll given by activists was 19 civilians and 6 FSA fighters, while the overall number of those killed in the previous three days, since the fighting in the area started, was 100. After the fighting, the Free Syrian Army withdrew to unidentified positions within 10 kilometers of Damascus.

On 31 January, the Syrian army continued to advance in order to crush the last FSA pockets. The army fired into the air, as they advanced with tanks even beyond the positions from where the FSA withdrew. Activists told that the suburbs were on unannounced curfew while others were allowed to flee. The army was conducting arrests on suspected people in the district of Irbin. In some instances, curfews were defied by some citizens, who put up a large opposition flag in the centre of Damascus.

On 1 February, the Syrian army extended their operations, with more troops moving into the mountainous area of Qalamoun, north of Damascus. Further north, the troops which took the control of Rankous, started to extand their control into farmland surrounding the city. In the eastern suburbs of Mesraba, activist reported that army snipers were positioned and that tanks were in the streets. In fighting in Wadi Barada, located north-west of Damascus in the Rif Damashk governorate, the Local Committee of Coordination initially reported that 12 people, including six FSA fighter, were killed. Four of those died during a tank bombardment by the military in an attempt to flush out the Free Syrian Army units operating in the area. A rebel spokesman put the death toll at 15. Later, the death toll of FSA fighters in the area was raised to 14 by the activist group. The opposition activist group also stated that the government poisoned the water supply of Wadi Barada, however, there was no independent confirmation and no other media reported the claim. One other FSA fighter was reportedly killed in fighting in the suburb of Moadhamieh. The town of Deir Kanoun and Ein al Fija were also under army assaults according to the London based SOHR. Syria's state news agency SANA said a general, Rajeh Mahmoud, was killed along with three other soldiers on the outskirts of Damascus.

In Saqba, the suburb where the FSA tried to resist against the offensive of the Syrian army, damages were visible in the streets. Bodies of people killed in the offensive of the Syrian army were serverly mutilated, some had there hands bound. The fighting had stopped after the soldiers cleared the area street by street. Checkpoints were manned at main intersections and FSA fighters had either fled or been killed or wounded in the fighting. A resident told that he saw tanks firing into shops and talked about Iranian and Hezbollah involvement while there was no other evidence of that. Some others vowed to continue to protests once the soldiers would have left. Another resident blamed the FSA for provoking a fight they could not win and said that ordinary people were paying the price of the fighting, fearing more fighting in the future.

A Lebanese source close to the Syrian government said that the offensive had the goal to cleanse from rebels all the areas near the capital and to set up a security zone. An opposition activist named Ayman Idlibi told that the Syrian army was preparing a massive attack on the city of Zabadani, a city located north of Wadi Barada and west of Rankus.

On 2 February, it was confirmed that the Syrian Army had retaken Douma, with its streets mostly deserted, a few days earlier. Army defectors and most families had fled into the Damascus countryside.

February fighting (Zabadani and Douma)

On 9 February, seven soldiers were buried after being killed in fighting in the Damascus suburbs and other areas.

On 10 February, the FSA in a poor district of Damascus city engaged loyalist forces in a firefight. Members of the Free Syrian Army fought for four hours with armoured backed troops who entered al-Qaboun neighbourhood in the north of the capital according to witnesses, it was not immediately known how many people were killed but several FSA fighters were wounded.

The next day, on 11 February, more fighting was reported when SANA reported that three gunmen shot dead another army general. SANA said that General Issa al-Khouli was shot in the morning as he left his home in the Damascus neighborhood of Rukn-Eddine. He was the director of a military hospital in Damascus. The Revolution Leadership Council, an anti-Assad group in Damascus, alleged that the government had carried out the killing itself. Meanwhile fighting was reported in the suburb of Douma, while an video was posted online reportedly showing a tank firing it's guns in the streets of Douma. More fighting in Douma was reported when soldiers stormed the Grand Mosque and detained a number of people who were inside. In the al-Qaboun clashes the day before, it was said that an activist in the area was shot dead by government forces.

On 12 February, a video was posted on the internet reportedly showing a Syrian military anti-aircraft vehicle being used in the streets of Douma with pictures of Bashar al-Assad pasted on the front next to the guns, and the vehicle appears to be firing directly at buildings. On 14 February, Syrian press agency told that the security forces discovered an insurgent hiding place and confiscated weapons, bomb making kits and military suits. Also, an activist group reported the death of 3 insurgents. On 15 February, elite Syrian troops launched a large operation in the Barzeh suburb to locate insurgents hiding place, with around 1,000 troops deployed. A notable anti government protest was reported on 18 February, at least two protesters were reportedly killed in a funeral march for three protesters slain by security forces in the recent days before. In the central district of Mazzeh, near the Syrian Presidential Palace, the anti-government demonstration reportedly attracted tens of thousands of pro-democary protesters according to activists. Security forces then confronted them with gunfire and tear gas, which was said to have killed and injured protesters. The opposition called for a "day of defiance" the following day calling for big protests, but the area was calm. They then said that protests could not go on due to security forces being deployed in some districts of central damascus. The streets of Mezzeh became largely empty, and people on the strreet were arrested on sight. Students protests at local schools did occur however. On 28 February, a military hideout was discovered in Douma as reported by Assad-controlled state media, with the security forces finding 6 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 3 sniper rifles, 2 RPGs, 2 Turkish guns, a Turkish shotgun.

On 3 March, the head of the Free Syrian Army, Riyad al-Asad, told al-Jazeera that Free Syrian Army members had taken control of arms depots in Reef Damascus. He also stated that "the Free Syrian Army killed more than 100 regime troops in Reef Damascus." However, this was not confirmed by any independent media or the opposition groups responsible for tracking fatalities in the conflict. Riyad al-asad's statement was made after a claim by another FSA leader that 100 soldiers were killed or wounded when the FSA seized a control of the bases. This FSA leader had said the report was preliminary, before it was confirmed by the commander of the FSA. Two rebels and seven people harbouring them were killed by the Syrian Army in Duma, an activist stated for the news agencies. On 10 March, two soldiers and three rebels were killed in a clash in the town of Daryaa, the London activist group reported.

On 11 March, S.O.H.R reported that 19 soldiers were killed in Idlib and Damascus countryside, 7 of them were reported dead in idlib, meaning the remaining 12 were killed outside Damascus. The following day, 3 rebels were killed in the areas.

On 13 March, SANA claimed a colonel was "assassinated" in the Damascus countryside. He was shot while heading to his military unit, causing his instant death.

On 16 March, Heavy fighting was reported in several Damascus suburbs, with the FSA fighting loyalist forces in those areas. Three soldiers were reported killed. This came before a car bombing, the third in Damascus which was claimed to have killed 27 people and wounded another 140. Among the dead were members of the security forces, as the bombs targeted an air force intelligence base and a criminal security centre.

Battle of Mezze

On 18 March, heavy street fighting ensued in Damascus, with the main district of Mezze being the battleground between the FSA and the military. The district is home to many security installations and residents reported hearing heavy machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire through the night. State controlled media claimed two "terrorists" and one member of the security forces were killed in the fighting. "These clashes were the most violent and the closest to the security force headquarters in Damascus since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution," said Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said 18 government soldiers were wounded in the shooting.

Details of the fighting emerged later. According to the Sunday Times, the fighting ended with a senior Sunni general, who had made it clear that he wished to defect to the FSA, and his family being escorted from their home under the protection of the rebels. The leader of this force said that 3 units of the FSA had launched an attack on Mezze at zero hour to secure the defecting general. Mezze is said to be home to Syria’s wealthy elite and is the capital’s most secure neighborhood, with embassies, armed guards and gated compounds. Two units of 10 men each where sent to secure the general, while a third larger unit assaulted Mezze Villas west, an area of Mezze where the house of Assef Shawkat, the brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad and deputy head of the armed forces, is situated. Witnesses described heavy machine gunfire and RPG's being fired in the pre-dawn assault. A commander of the FSA said “We wanted to show the regime we are capable of launching operations in the middle of their home, just a few [miles] from the presidential palace. People think nothing is happening in Damascus, but it is boiling.”. By the end, the military sent in armed helicopters to subdue the clashes, killing 7 opposition fighters, according to the FSA. Also, 80 elements of the security forces including pro-government militia were reportedly killed and 200 wounded during the clashes. The deputy commander of the Free Syrian Army also said that two military tanks were destroyed during the operation.

March–April 2012 operations

On 20 March, the Free Syria Army in Douma released an army general they had detained in return for several prisoners and the bodies of those killed recently by security forces.

On 21 March, Assad's forces shelled the suburbs of Harasta and Irbin.

On 24 March, after 8 pro-democracy protesters were wounded in a protest in Damascus, “very violent” clashes broke out in the Damascus area. Activists reported that explosions and small arms fire could be heard across a large part of Damascus province and in districts of the city itself, as anti-regime protests were staged in Douma and Artuz close to the capital. The Observatory for human rights reported snipers and heavy armour in Douma.

On 26 March, three soldiers were killed as a military bus was attacked in Harasta.

On 27 March, The chief of the Air force intelligence branch in Syria was reportedly killed, according to opposition forces in an attack in Damascus. The chief, Col Iyad Mando was considered to be the head of one of the most powerful bodies of the state.

On 30 March, the FSA captured an air force general in Damascus. Also, in the suburbs of Harasta and Irbin opposition fighters were said to have fired RPG's at military buildings, killing at least one soldier.

On the 6 April the army invaded Douma and killed a civilian, serious fighting evolved after this in Douma.

Sporadic incidents occurred in Damascus and in Rif Damascus Governorate during the cease-fire (from April 14 until June 2, 2012). Following the collapse of the cease-fire the area became the scene of the Summer 2012 Damascus clashes.

On 18 April, the government claimed that an army officer, a Lieutenant colonel, had been shot dead in Douma.

On 21 April an officer, a first Lieutenant was allegedly shot dead in the Damascus countryside.

On 25 April three military officers were killed in Damascus, according to the opposition and government in the area.

On 28 April, after a suicide bombing rocked Damascus, State media claimed 11 security forces and civilians had died. SOHR reported that 2 of the deaths were civilians, meaning 9 security forces were killed.

On 28 April, the Syrian Army killed 10 rebels in the Damascus region, according to the opposition group S.O.H.R. These deaths were reported after a Syrian opposition group reported that hundreds of soldiers defected from the Syrian armed forces on Sunday in the outskirts of Damascus and Lattakia.

On 29 April state media reported that 2 border guards of the army had been killed in fighting in the Damascus countryside.

On 30 April, Brigadier General Shaker Tayjon was killed by a bomb blast in the Damascus countryside according to state media. Another officer, a Lieutenant Colonel was allegedly killed by a separate bomb. Also, A director of a military hospital told Sky News that 10 to 15 dead soldiers were arriving every day and the same number were being treated for injuries sustained in the fighting. These figures only included incidents in the capital and southern Syria. In the hospital, a dead soldier who had been killed in Douma was brought in and a wounded army general who had lost his leg was shown.

On 2 May, In Harasta, near Damascus, six members of the security forces were killed during clashes with armed opposition, according to S.O.H.R.

On 3 may, a rebel fighter and seven soldiers were killed.

On 9 may, seven members of a pro-government militia called the Shabiha were killed when their bus was destroyed with rocket-propelled grenades on the edge of Irbin, a Damascus suburb. An activist said that army tanks began to shell the suburb afterwards.

On 13 May, a colonel and other officer were reported killed.

As of the 19–20 May, large-scale clashes took place in Damascus, with reports of senior regime figures having been assassinated, explosions going off, and battles between the Free Syrian Army and security forces.

On 24 May, a Lieutenant Colonel was shot and killed according to the Syrian government. 5 Police officers and 4 workers were also allegedly killed during the course of the day in a battle.

June 2012

On 1 June, Syrian Government soldiers killed five people during raids in the town of Daraya outside the capital Damascus, the group SOHR reported. They stormed the town which is a center for the armed opposition with tanks and fired shells at its western districts, the Observatory said. Local activists said the five killed were civilians, adding that one of them was an activist and “regime forces burnt his body completely after they killed him.”

On 2 June, 8 soldiers were killed on the outskirts of Damascus by the FSA.

On June 9, in Damascus, residents spoke about a night of shooting and explosions in the worst violence Syria's capital has seen since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began 15 months ago. The nearly 12 hours of fighting in Damascus suggested a new boldness among armed rebels, who previously kept a low profile in the capital.

On 10 June, three police officers were killed when a bomb exploded, destroying their vechile. Also, around 600 Syrian Free Army fighters simultaneously attacked Government targets and Syrian army targets from five directions around the capital, in the biggest and most organised attack on damascus so far in the entire uprising. One source reported that several Russians working with the Syrian Government were killed and others wounded.

On early June rebels attacked Shabiha buses brought to quell protests in Qaboun, killing or wounding 20 militiamen and prompting security forces from the nearby Airforce Intelligence compound to fire anti-aircraft guns and heavy mortar rounds into the district, according to opposition campaigners. YouTube footage released by opposition activists also showed army trucks and soldiers in combat gear inside the Abbasid Football Stadium in the city, which has become a base for troops and militiamen confronting the opposition neihbourhoods of Jobar, Zamalka and Irbin just to the east.

On 16 June, three opposition fighters were allegdly killed in Duma and a large number of others arrested when authorities raided their hideouts, SANA, state TV media, reported.

On 17 June, the Syrian military once again attacked Damascus suburbs. Seven civilians, including three women, were killed in shelling of Douma, an oppostion stronghold. Five civilian men were killed in Saqaba, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said, adding some of them had been "slaughtered" with knives. SOHR called for independent investigation as "This kind of killing has become common in recent weeks." In the suburb of Irbin a man and his wife and child were hit by an artillery shell fired by the Syrian army.

The Syrian government claimed they killed a man who had participated rigging car bombs in Damascus.

Widespread clashes were reported in Douma and Harasta with one general of the Syrian army and a police captain being killed by the Free Syrian Army. The dead Lieutenant General Ghassan Khalil Abu al-Dhahab, from Damascus, is one of the highest-ranking officials to be killed during the entire civil war.

On 21 June, according to the toll compiled by the London-based organization, 30 civilians were killed in the opposition bastion of Douma by the Syrian army.

On 25 June, 11 soldiers were captured by the Free Syrian Army in Damascus.

On 26 June, rebels reportedly blew up an artillery piece at the entrance to Qudsaya, Damascus suburb, with clashes taking place in both Qudsaya and al-Hama, about 8 kilometers from the center of Damascus. Army also stormed the neighbourhood of Barzeh amid fierce fighting. The SOHR group reported that the government had massacred residents in al-Hama, and at least 14 people were reported killed.

On 27 June a pro-Government media station was attacked, killing seven people, four from the security services and three journalists while 13 rebels were killed near Douma according to the Syrian government.

An opposition activist claimed that a "massacre" happened in the suburb of Douma on 29 June. Heavy shelling was evident as the military tried to enter the suburb. 51 people were reported killed, including 10 who tried to flee the suburb but were stopped at a checkpoint by pro-regime militiamen and executed.

Resident of the city meanwhile said to press that city of Douma, on suburbs of Damascus, had become effectively ghost city, with most of its 200,000 population forced to flee as a result of army shelling. He also reported hearing for more than a week explosions from shelling in Harasta suburb, what resulted in collapse of ordinary life in Damascus. Security forces enforced unofficial curfew after 7 or 8pm when Shabiha militias arrest anyone wandering around the streets.

On 29 June, the Syrian Army continued its crackdown against the rebels in Douma, killing scores of rebels and arresting number of others. They claimed that 3 rebel deaths were confirmed.

On 30 June it was reported that the military had regained control of Douma after a 10 day military offensive. Loyalists battled to control the ring of suburbs and settlements in the surrounding countryside. The army launches frequent offensives into the suburbs only to see them slip back into rebel control. Human rights groups said that conditions in Douma are miserable, with dead bodies in the streets. There is a lack of food, electricity and running water. The army was accused of damaging hospitals that treated the wounded in Douma and carrying out waves of mass arrest and execution.

In Douma, the Syrian army said that they seized 3 rebels weapons stores and an explosive factory that many rebels were killed. SANA reported that dozens of rebels were killed while many others were arrested.

On 30 June, residents reported that army, after weeks of intensive shelling, pushed its way into former rebel-controlled city and was sweeping streets in search of rebel fighters who according to other resident withdrew from city night before, after 10-day government offensive. Residents also reported decaying dead bodies lying on streets and arrest of hundreds of citizens.

Information emegered from ITV, who filmed a Syrian military funeral. 42 soldiers were killed in the siege of Douma over the course of 1 and a half days.

July 2012

On 2 July, ITV News correspondent managed to get to the Irbeen suburb of Damascus with help of Free Syrian Army fighters and confirmed that this and several other suburbs, including Zamalka, are completely out of government control with local rebel fighters patrolling on the streets openly. It was also reported that fighting in Douma was still ongoing.

On 10 July, 2 soldiers were killed when their military supply vehicle was destroyed in southern Damascus.

On 11 July, there was heavy fighting in the Damascus neighourhood of Zabdin, were members of the Free Syrian Army attacked a missile base, prompting the defection of at least 27 soldiers there. Clashes, raids and shelling also continued in Irbeen, Douma, Zamalka and Kafarsoussah.

On 12 July, Syrian army for the first time shelled area of Damascus. Artillery fired several shells towards orchards in Kfar Souseh district where FSA was reportedly hiding. There was also clashes in New Artouz suburb, some 15 kilometres from Damascus.

On 15 July, fierce fighting was reported in some quarters of central Damascus as the army moved in to dislodge rebels. The rebels fighting were the ones who were crushed in Douma and other suburbs and fled to Damascus itself. Fighting also closed the road leading from central Damascus to airport.

On 16 July, for a second day, heavy clashes in the southern Midan and Tadhamon districts of Damascus raged with the military managing to surround the rebel forces in the area and sending tanks and other armored vehicles into the neighborhoods. The rebels called the clashes a raid by them against the capital, while the government called it a 48-hour military operation to clear the area of any opposition forces. There were also indications that the government knew about the planned rebel raid and acted on the information.

On 17 July, shooting was reported in one of the main central streets and machine-gun fire was reported in nearby Sabaa Bahrat Square, site of the Central Bank of Syria, which was the scene of several major pro-government demonstrations. Fighting was ongoing in the southern Midan and Kfar Sousa districts and the northern Barzeh and Qabun districts. There were contradictions among the rebels themselves on the nature of the conflict. One FSA commander claimed that the Battle for liberation of Damascus had begun, with another dubbing it Operation Damascus Volcano. But Tarek, the rebel spokesman in Damascus, stated the clashes were still only skirmishes. He also said the FSA didn't start the battle, which would be in line with earlier reports that the military made a preemptive strike on the opposition forces, after learning of their plan for the attack on the capital.

August

On 1 August, at least one government soldier was killed in clashes in Damascus' Bab Touma and Bab Sharqi districts, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "This is fighting in areas where it has not happened before. These are areas where the rebels have so far not had access," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told the AFP news agency. Bab Touma and Bab Sharqi in the Old City of Damascus. Furthermore, the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), which organises protests on the ground, reported a blast and heavy gunfire from Baghdad Street, a main route in Syria's capital. The LCC also said the capital's southern suburb of Tadamon was hit by mortar fire at dawn. Later in the day, the fourth division of the loyalist republic guard overran an opposition-controlled suburb of Damascus and executed at least 35 "unarmed men", overwhelmingly "civilians and political activists". A resident of Jdeidet Artouz said that "Almost all of them were executed with bullets to their face, head and neck in homes, gardens and basements." and that the bodies were collected at a mosque and buried in a mass grave. Another resident said 50 people had died. State media claimed to have pursued a "terrorist group" in the area.

In Damascus, heavy fighting erupted on 2 August in the southern Tadamun district, the Syrian Observatory said. "Syrian troops withdrew from the neighbourhood following heavy clashes with rebel battalions, which resulted in the killing of four rebels and at least three soldiers," SOHR added.

On 3 August, 45 captured soldiers were captured in a suburb north of Damascus. 8 were later killed.

48 Iranians were captured when their bus was seized by the Free Syrian Army in Damascus. The FSA said the captured men were soldiers, some members of the Republican guard, including an officer whose documentation was shown. The Iranians were “on a reconnaissance mission in the field to study the situation in the city” when their bus was seized by rebels on 5 August, a Free Syrian Army commander said. Several dozen men, apparently the captured Iranians, were recorded sitting behind him as he spoke. “We warn Iran and all those who stand with the regime: The fall of this regime is inevitable,” the rebel commander said. “We pledge that the fate of all who work on your behalf in the land of Syria will either be imprisonment or death.” However, the Iranian government claimed all the men were "pilgrims". Later, the Syrian army shelled rebel positions, which killed three of the Iranian prisoners. Iran later admitted that the men were “Retired” members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and army and on a "religious pilgrimage" to Damascus. After a week, US officals confrimed that the captured Iranians were in fact “active-duty Iranian Revolutionary Guard members,” and accused Iran of aiding the Syrian Government.

The Free Syrian Army announced in a statement to Al Arabiya on 8 August that it has killed a Russian general in Syria who was working as a consultant to the Syrian defense minister and head of general staff of military affairs. FSA said the killing of the general, Vladmir Petrovic Kojaiv, along his private translator, Ahmed Aiq, evidence that Russia was embroiled in the Syrian crisis. The rebel army said a number of documents and maps about the opposition and FSA were also seized. The operation was conducted in Damascus.

On 10 August, a police minibus stopped at checkpoint run by the rebels north of Damascus, who fired at them, killing 6. The director of Tishreen military hospital in Damascus stated that they were getting between 20-50 wounded soldiers a day.

On 11 August, fighting was reported in central Damascus, with clashes occurring near the central bank. Fighting had also been reported by anti-government groups in other districts, including Tadamun, Qaboon and Qadam districts. Meanwhile, the rebel-held suburb, Al-Tal, was attacked with tanks and armoured vehicles after days of bombardment by artillery and helicopters. However, the attack was reportedly repelled. At least 11 people were killed in the fighting.

On 15 August, the FSA claimed responsibilty for a series of explosions in central Damascus. Abu al-Noor, a spokesperson for the Ahfad Al Rasoul Brigade that has claiming responsibility for the bombing attacks, told Al Jazeera that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) had been planning the attacks for a month. "The operation was targeting the central security command in response to murders perpetrated by the security forces nationwide," he said. Syrian state television reported that the blast, in the Abu Remanih area near a military depot and the trade union headquarters, was caused by a bomb planted in a fuel vehicle. Several ambulances rushed to the scene and a security cordon was set up, according to witnesses. Syrian state television reported that the attack wounded at least three people, but the rebels said they suspect "many" officers had been killed or injured. The FSA planted eight explosive canisters in the vicinity of the Syrian military's Central Security Command, timed to explode during their daily meeting, Abu al-Noor of the Ahfad Al Rasoul Brigade said. The FSA had intelligence suggesting some 150 high-ranking officers would be attending the meeting. He did not know how many casualties had occurred because the security forces had secured the area. Several hours after the blast, anti-government activists said that rebels clashed with Syrian forces near the government headquarters and the Iranian embassy in the Mezze area of Damascus.

Key incidents

Zamalka massacre

On 1 July, it was reported that a big anti-government demonstration, that started out as a funeral for a previous protester that had been killed by government soldiers, was fired upon with mortars. An initial report by the SOHR group said that the government had killed at least 30 civilian protesters in this attack. Video footage appeared on the internet showing the explosions and aftermath.

It was then reported that 85 civilians had been killed in the attack on the anti-government protest. A car bomb had targeted the Anti-Government march.

Douma and Qudsiyya

By the end of June, several Damascus neighbourhoods, Douma and Qudsaya, became effective warzones, with sounds of fighting reaching rich parts in the heart of the city.

Battle of Damascus

Main article: Battle of Damascus (2012)

A major escalation in Damascus took place from 14–15 July, when a coodinated attack by multiple rebel forces was engaged upon Damascus neighbourhoods. By July 17 the attacks intensified and heavy forces of the Syrian Army were brought into the city to quell the rebel attack. During the battle, a bombing killed the Syrian minister of defense, his deputy, Assad's brother in law and two other two other officials.

External links

• By All Means Necessary!, Human Rights Watch, 16 December 2011