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Eastern Qalamoun offensive (September–October 2016)
Part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign of the Syrian Civil War
Date 3 September – 15 October 2016 (1 month, 1 week and 5 days) Location Eastern Qalamoun Mountains, Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria Result Limited ISIL gains ISIL captures four hills Rebels recapture several positions
Belligerents
Jaysh al-Islam Free Syrian Army Ahrar al-Sham Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Authenticity and Development Front Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Air Force	Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Harith Siwar (WIA) (Eastern Qalamoun Jaysh al-Islam commander) Salih Nouman  † (Eastern Qalamoun Jaysh al-Islam commander) Abdul Rahman Abu Mansour (Al-Rahman Legion deputy commander) Abu Barzan (Lions of the East Army deputy commander)	Unknown
Units involved
Free Syrian Army Al-Rahman Legion Southern Front Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo Lions of the East Army Sham Liberation Army	Military of ISIL Wilayat Dimashq
Strength
600–1,500 fighters	Unknown
Casualties and losses
24 rebels killed (ISIL claim) 1 MiG-23 crashed	23–62 killed (rebel claim)

The Eastern Qalamoun offensive was a large-scale military offensive against Syrian rebel positions in the eastern Qalamoun Mountains of the Rif Dimashq Governorate launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant along a frontline of more than 15 kilometers in the region.

The offensive

On 3 September 2016, ISIL sent two car bombs towards rebel positions in the mountains, but both were destroyed before they could reach their targets. Following this, ISIL forces stormed the rebel-held territory from three different axes, overrunning several positions and reportedly killing more than 20 rebels.

Three days later, an ISIL convoy was deployed as they launched a second assault in the area. During the clashes, the rebels destroyed an ISIL T-72, a bulldozer, and a ZU-23-2, the latter with a BGM-71 TOW missile. The next day, Jaysh al-Islam recaptured a hill near Dumayr from ISIL.

On 9 September, ISIL launched a third attack against rebel forces in the mountains. Rebels led by Jaysh al-Islam and various Free Syrian Army factions repelled the assault and dozens of ISIL fighters were killed. Hundreds of rebel reinforcements reportedly arrived in the region the next day. On 13 September, ISIL recaptured the three hilltops of Jabal Zubaydi, Tall Daba'a and Jabal al-Afa'i. On 14–15 September, rebels launched a counter-attack to regain Jabal al-Afa'i. On 17–18 September, ISIL forces launched a successful assault against rebel positions at Badiya, killing four and capturing forty defenders, while losing two vehicles in return. Heavy fighting between rebels and ISIL in the area was reported on 19 September, as the ISIL offensive entered its 3rd week.

On 21 September, Ahrar al-Sham and the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo recaptured the Rajem al-A'ali area, giving them the control of 40% of the al-Afa'i Mountains, while a Syrian Air Force MiG-23 targeting ISIL crashed in the region. Rebel forces made further progress later that day, retaking several positions at Jebal Batra. The pilot of the crashed government jet landed in rebel territory in the mountains and as a result of a truce in the area, the rebels handed him over to the Syrian Armed Forces and reportedly received small arms and ammunition from government forces in return. By 23 September, the rebels were in control of 70% of Jabal al-Afa'i.

On 26 September, unknown gunmen attempted to assassinate Harith Siwar, commander of Jaysh al-Islam in the Eastern Qalamoun Mountains. On 29 September, ISIL forces launched a new attack in the eastern Qalamoun Mountains, leading to heavy clashes with the rebel defenders. In the night of 1–2 October, ISIL fighters stormed eastern Jabal al-Afa'i amid heavy fighting with FSA forces. Two days later, Jaysh al-Islam repelled another major ISIL attack on Jabal al-Afa'i and al-Naqab. On 9 October, 12 ISIL fighters and an unknown number of rebels were killed in clashes after an attack by ISIL on al-Khandaq and al-Naqab mountain. Five rebels were killed in clashes on the following day. On 15 October, rebels launched an assault on Kahil Tes and Mahol areas.

Aftermath

On 26 October, Syrian military bombarded areas under ISIL control in the region. On 2 November, clashes renewed between ISIL and rebels, concentrated in the area of Jabal al-Afa'i.

On 6 November, the rebels launched their own offensive, attacking ISIL positions. The rebels stated they had captured three checkpoints, with 7 ISIL fighters and 4 rebels being killed in the clashes. With the recent advances, rebels broke the siege imposed by ISIL on them in the region and had started advancing northwards to retake territory previously captured by the group.

On 29 December, FSA forces launched an offensive toward ISIL lines in the eastern Qalamoun and captured five villages.

See also

• Al-Dumayr offensive (April 2016)

References

1. ^ "Opposition recognizes the pilot who dropped the Syrian regime to organize "State" his plane yesterday at Qalamoun". Al-Quds al-Arabi. 23 September 2016.
2. ^ "ISIS snatches swaths of rebel territory northeast of Damascus – Map update". Al-Masdar News. 14 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
3. ^ "Shelling target al-Ghouta and the outskirts of the capital and an assassination attempt of an Islamic faction commander". SOHR. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
4. "Ceyş'ül İslam'ın #DoğuKalamun sorumlusu Salih Numan, IŞİD ile aralarında yaşanan çatışmalarda şehit oldu". 5 October 2016.
5. ^ "Daesh opens a loophole in eastern Qalamoun". Aawsat. 7 September 2016.
6. "Syrian opposition repel "Daesh" attacks in eastern Qalamoun". The New Arab. 22 September 2016.
7. ^ "For these reasons, Daesh attacks the free army in Qalamoun". Egypt and the Arab. 11 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
8. ^ "ISIS launches huge offensive in the eastern Qalamoun". Al-Masdar News. 3 September 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
9. ^ "Dozens of dead of wounded in eastern Qalamoun". All4Syria. 10 September 2016.
10. "Daesh bid to take eastern Qalamoun". ARA News. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016.
11. "Jaysh Al-Islam recaptures mountaintop in eastern Qalamoun". Al-Masdar News. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
12. "Rebels clash with IS and regime forces in Reef Dimashq". SOHR. 15 September 2016.
13. "E. Qalamoun : ISIS attacked JFS positions in the Badiya where four were killed and another forty were taken prisoner". 18 September 2016.
14. "Clashes in the Eastern Qalamoun and raids in the west of Rif Dimashq". SOHR. 17 September 2016.
15. "Eastern Qalamoun: heavy clashes continue with Rebels as ISIS offensive enters its 3rd week". 19 September 2016.
16. Chris Tomson (21 September 2016). "ISIS downs new Syrian jet while rebels advance in Eastern Qalamoun". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
17. "Opposition Progressing In Qalamon Against ISIS … The Latter Drop A Regime Warplane In The Area". Qasioun News. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
18. "Eastern Qalamoun: Rebels expelled ISIS from several positions in Jebal Batra". 21 September 2016.
19. Chris Tomson (23 September 2016). "VIDEO: Al-Qaeda linked group pushes through ISIS-held Syrian territory". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
20. "Clashes between ISIS and opposition forces in Qalamoun". Qasioun News. 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
21. Leith Fadel (2 October 2016). "ISIS launches new offensive in eastern Qalamoun". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
22. Leith Fadel (4 October 2016). "Jaysh al-Islam repels the #ISIS Group' attack in Qalamoun and kills many militants". El-Dorar Al-Shamia. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
23. "Continued clashes between rebels and IS in Qalamoun". 9 October 2016.
24. "5 casualties in clashes against the 'Islamic state' in the eastern Qalamoun and exchange of targeting in Homs".
25. "Clashes breakout between rebels and IS in Qalamon". 15 October 2016.
26. "Continued clashes in al-Rayhan area in Reef Dimashq". 26 October 2016.
27. "Clashes continue in the Western Ghouta and renewed in the eastern Qalamoun". SOHR. 2 November 2016.
28. ^ "With all eyes on Raqqa, US-backed rebels take on the Islamic State in Syria's mountains". Syria Direct. 10 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
29. ^ "Islamic State loses ground to Syrian rebels in Damascus suburb". ARA News. 6 November 2016. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016.
30. "Free Syrian Army launches large-scale offensive in east Qalamoun". Al-Masdar News. 29 December 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.

• Conflicts in 2016
• Damascus in the Syrian civil war
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2016
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Free Syrian Army
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
• September 2016 events in Syria
• October 2016 events in Syria