Great Conquest
الفتح المُبين
al-Fatah al-Mubin
Dates of operationJune 2019–present
Group(s) Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
National Front for Liberation
Jaysh al-Izza
Active regionsIdlib Governorate, Latakia Governorate, Aleppo Governorate and Hama Governorate, Syria
Allies Turkey
Syrian National Army
Opponents Syrian Arab Armed Forces
 Russia
 Iran
Hezbollah[1]
Liwa Fatemiyoun
Liwa Zainebiyoun[2]
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

Al-Fatah al-Mubin (Arabic: الفتح المُبين, romanized: al-Fatah al-Mubin) or Great Conquest is an operations room of Syrian rebel and jihadist factions participating in the Syrian civil war. The operations room was declared in June 2019, evolving from the "Damascus Conquest" operations room formed in May[3] during the Syrian Army's Dawn of Idlib 1 campaign[4] and consists of rebel groups operating in opposition-held areas of northwestern Syria concentrated in Idlib.[5] The three groups comprising the coalition are Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation, and Jaysh al-Izza.[6] In October 2020, HTS and two leading factions from the NLF began to finalize the creation of a Unified Military Council in Idlib.[7][8]

History

The rebel factions in Idlib declared the start of the "Great Conquest" operation on 7 June 2019 during the Syrian Army's Idlib offensive, as the second phase of a rebel counterattack that had begun a day prior. The first operation, "Defeating the aggression." had resulted in the rebels seizing several towns and positions.[9]

First northwestern Syria offensive

Pro-rebel sources reported the factions hit a RuAF SU-22.[10] On 8 June al-Fateh al-Mubin operations room advanced into several areas north of Hama and cut the road between the town of Maharda and Skaylbia.[11] A faction in the coalition also reportedly damaged a SyAAF Aero L-39 Albatros, forcing it to land.[10]

On 16 June, the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitor, reported that the factions repulsed an attack on their positions at the Tal Meleh axis.[12]

On 18 June the operations room carried out an attack on the Tal Meleh axis. Syrian state media reporting they halted the attack.[13] The Syrian Army, in turn, declared the start of an operation to recapture the towns of Tal Meleh and Jubbayn 19 June.[14] by the 20th, 89 rebels and 41 government soldiers were dead. The factions were able to repel the attack.[15]

On 28 June 2019 the NLF carried out a raid on the town of al-Hawiz, reportedly killing 15 soldiers and injuring 30.[16] The same day, another L-39 was hit, forcing the aircraft to land.[17]

On 10 July 2019 the operations room captured the city of Hamamiyat and its hill.[18][4] Pro-government Al-Masdar News reported that the Syrian Army recaptured the town the following day.[19] It was reported the coalition also attacked several Syrian Army positions in areas of Latakia.[9]

On 20 July the operations room repelled an attack on Jubbayn.[15]

On 21 July 2019 The operations room launched an attack on Qasabiyeh, but was repelled by the Syrian Army.[20]

On 28 July 2019 the operations room suffered major setbacks after the Syrian Army recaptured Tal Meleh and Jubbayn, reversing all their gains.[21][22] Sources reported dozens of pro-government fighters including senior generals were killed in clashes with the factions.[23]

The Fateh Mubin operations room lost several key areas including the strategic city of Khan Shaykhun[24] and was forced out of northern Hama. The battle ended with a ceasefire which came into effect on 31 August.[25]

Second northwestern Syria offensive

In December 2019 after renewed airstrikes on rebel-held areas, opposition sources announced the Syrian Army was planning to restart its Idlib offensive.[26] On 19 December the Syrian Army began the offensive, advancing into several towns.[27] The armed factions were also attacked from the Aleppo axis. The city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was captured by the Syrian Army after weeks of bombing amidst an assault on 29 January 2020.[28] Turkey began sending convoys of troops and equipment into Idlib to safeguard against a complete takeover of the province.[29] The Fateh Mubin operations room lost several key cities including the city of Saraqib.[30] Following the reopening of the M5 highway to pro-government forces, the Syrian Army launched an attack on the Aleppo axis, seizing most rebel held areas of the province.[31] On 20 February, backed by Turkish artillery, the rebels launched an attack on the town of Neirab[32] and briefly captured the town, but withdrew after heavy clashes and airstrikes.[33] The rebel factions attempted another advance on the Neirab axis, recapturing the town and the city of Saraqib on 27 February.[34][35] On 1 March The opposition factions also carried out a counterattack on the Al-Ghab Plain where the Syrian army had been advancing, halting the offensive there and retaking several towns.[36][37] Turkish drone strikes on the SAA and allies turned the tide of the battle in favor of the rebels on several fronts.[38] The city of Saraqib was recaptured by the SAA on 2 March 2020.[39] 3 days later, the battle ended as a ceasefire was agreed to by Turkey and Russia.[40]

Aftermath

On 24 June 2020, SOHR reported that the factions repelled an infiltration attempt by the Syrian Army on the Harsh Binin frontline. The Syrian army shelled rebel positions, while the Turkish Army shelled several positions of the Syrian Army in support of the rebels.[41]

On 25 June 2020, SOHR reported that the NLF repelled an infiltration attempt by the Syrian army on the Bayanin frontline. The Turkish army shelled several positions of the Syrian Army during the clashes.[42] The SOHR reported that the Syrian army attempted a third infiltration attempt back by artillery, but this attack was repulsed at well.[43]

On 26 June 2020, following a conflict with the Guardians of Religion Organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham declared Fateh Mubin the only legal coalition in rebel-held Idlib and barred the creation of any other military operation rooms.[44]

On 28 June 2020, SOHR reported that HTS destroyed a heavy machine gun of the Syrian Army in the al-Jaradah area.[45]

On 29 June 2020, SOHR reported that the factions shelled several Syrian Army positions in southern Idlib. They also repelled an attempt by the Syrian army to infiltrate the al-Fterah area,[46] and destroyed a military bulldozer on the Dadikh village frontline.[47]

On 30 June there were reports that the Syrian Army launched an attack and captured several positions on the Ruwaiha axis. A spokesman for the NLF denied the claim.[48]

During early July 2020, SOHR reported clashes and shelling of positions between al-Fateh al-Mubin and pro-government forces took place, as the Syrian Army sent reinforcements to the front lines in Idlib.[49][50][51]

On 10 July 2020, SOHR reported that a Russian UAV was shot down by the NLF during fierce clashes in the Idlib countryside.[52]

Skirmishes and clashes between the operations room and the Syrian Army continued over the course of the year, with the ceasefire agreed to in March regularly being broken with shelling and infiltration attempts.[53]

On 20 December 2020 the operations room repelled an infiltration attempt in Jabal al-Zawiya. Shelling took place between the two sides the following day.[54]

On 4 January 2021, the operations room clashed with the Syrian Army in the Jabal al-Zawiya area.[55]

On 7 January 2021 three soldiers from HTS were killed by Syrian Army shelling near the village of Fateira.[56] HTS reportedly destroyed two vehicles and killed a number of soldiers near Hantoutin village after attacking them with ATGM launchers. A Syrian soldier was shot by a sniper operating under the Fatah Mubin operations room coinciding with shelling by the latter near Dadikh village. The Syrian Army shelled rebel-held areas of Latakia governorate the same day.[57]

On 11 January 2021, a group of Syrian Army soldiers infiltrated positions of NLF group Jaysh al-Nasr in the town of Al-Ankawi during nighttime,[58] killing 11 fighters.[59][60] The NLF responded by shelling Syrian Army positions in northwest Hama and southern Idlib countrysides.[61]

References

  1. ↑ Haboush, Joseph; Ensor, Josie (2 February 2020). "Three Hizbollah fighters die in Idlib in latest sign of Iran's involvement in Syria". The Telegraph.
  2. ↑ "IRGC trained militias suffer losses in northwest Syria | FDD's Long War Journal". 14 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "Operation room "Conquest of Damascus" created, including various rebel factions from Faylaq ash Sham to official Al Qaeda branch in Syria Huras al Din Idlib, Idlib Governorate". Map of Syrian Civil War - Syria news and incidents today - syria.liveuamap.com. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  4. 1 2 "Counter-punch: Syrian opposition pushes back against regime offensive in Northwest Syria". ACLED. 2019-07-27. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  5. ↑ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn (February 2020). "Idlib and Its Environs: Narrowing Prospects for a Rebel Holdout" (PDF). THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Factions in Idlib hold a meeting and take action on military actions". Call Syria. 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  7. ↑ "Internal division may determine fate of "Ahrar al-Sham Movement"". Enab Baladi. 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  8. ↑ Tastekin, Fehim (2020-10-27). "No good news for Turkey from jihadi ranks in Syria". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  9. 1 2 "The Revolutionary operations exhausting Russia and its militias". Call Syria. 2019-06-11. Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  10. 1 2 "أقل من 24 ساعة.. إصابة طائرة حربية ثانية لميليشيا أسد غربي حماة". أورينت نت. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  11. ↑ "Bloody day broke the bone of the Russian militias in Hama". Call Syria. 2019-06-08. Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  12. ↑ "قتلى باشتباكات عنيفة بريف حماة ومحاولات لتقدم النظام (شاهد)". المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (in Arabic). 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  13. ↑ ruaa-jazaeri (2019-06-18). "Army thwarts terrorist groups attack on military posts in Hama northern countryside". Syrian Arab News Agency. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  14. ↑ "Syria flare-up kills 35 fighters, including 26 pro-regime forces — monitor". Jordan Times. 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  15. 1 2 "The revolutionary factions crush Russian-backed militiamen and fail their desperate attempts to advance on Hama countryside". Call Syria. 2019-06-20. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  16. ↑ "Spokesman for the "National Front" shows the results of the raid on "Al-Hawiz" in the countryside of Hama". Call Syria. 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  17. ↑ "إصابة طائرة حربية رشاشة لميليشيا أسد شمال غرب حماة". أورينت نت. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  18. ↑ "Revolutionary factions confirm defense lines in "Hamamiyat " of rural Hama". Call Syria. 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  19. ↑ News Desk (2019-07-11). "Syrian Army reverses all jihadist gains after killing scores of militants". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  20. ↑ ruaa-jazaeri (2019-07-21). "Army repels an attack by terrorist groups, destroys a number of their vehicles in Idleb countryside". Syrian Arab News Agency. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  21. ↑ "After hundreds of air and ground strikes...the regime forces regain the control of Al-Jabin village few hours after restoring the strategic village of Tal Melh north-west of Hama • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  22. ↑ "Syrian media: Troops advance in north, breaking stalemate". Al Arabiya English. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  23. ↑ "Senior officers and commanders of Russian militias killed north of Hama :photos". Call Syria. 2019-07-29. Archived from the original on 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  24. ↑ "Syria regime forces take full control of Khan Sheikhoun: monitor". en.zamanalwsl.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  25. ↑ "Ceasefire announced in Syria's Idlib province". BBC News. 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  26. ↑ Arab, The New. "Deadly Russian bombardment of Idlib is response to 'opposition rejection of land-grab proposal'". alaraby. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  27. ↑ "As Syria's army advances into Idlib, a mass exodus is underway". Los Angeles Times. 2019-12-26. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  28. ↑ "Syrian army takes Maaret al-Numan after heavy bombardment". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  29. ↑ "Syria opposition commanders warn of Idlib military escalation". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  30. ↑ McKernan, Bethan; Akoush, Hussein (2020-02-10). "Fall of Syrian town delivers strategic and symbolic prize to Assad". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  31. ↑ "Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province, on eve of Turkey-Russia talks". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  32. ↑ "Two Turkish soldiers killed as Syrian rebels stage assault on Idlib's Neirab". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  33. ↑ "Clashes in Syria's Idlib kill 27 fighters: monitor | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR". www.dailystar.com.lb. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  34. ↑ McKernan, Bethan (2020-02-27). "Syrian rebels retake key town in Idlib from Assad forces". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  35. ↑ al-Khateb, Khaled (2020-02-27). "Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces claim gains in Idlib". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  36. ↑ "Opposition in Syria regains control of 9 villages in Idlib". Middle East Monitor. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  37. ↑ "19 Soldiers Killed in Turkish Drone Strikes, Opposition Forces Take 7 Towns". The Syrian Observer. 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  38. ↑ "Turkish drones – a 'game changer' in Idlib". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  39. ↑ "Syria army retakes Saraqib city in Idlib from opposition". Middle East Monitor. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  40. ↑ "Russia and Turkey agree ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province". the Guardian. 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  41. ↑ "Idlib | Turkish forces shell regime positions east of Idlib, and fierce clashes erupt on Jabal Zawiya frontlines • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  42. ↑ ""De-escalation zone" | Backed by Turkish forces, "National Liberation Front" thwarts regime attacks on Idlib's Bayanin • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  43. ↑ "For third day | Backed by intensive artillery firepower, regime forces try to infiltrate into Jabal Al-Zawiya • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  44. ↑ "Are the Idlib civil war and HTS domination the end of the Syrian revolution?". Middle East Monitor. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  45. ↑ "Ceasefire violations | HTS destroys regime heavy machinegun, while regime forces continue shelling positions in Idlib and Hama • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  46. ↑ ""De-escalation zone" | Rebels shell regime positions in southern Idlib leaving casualties, and thwart regime infiltration attempt • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  47. ↑ "Hostilities | Regime forces shell south of Idlib, as rebels destroy regime military bulldozer east of the province • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  48. ↑ "The National Front denies the progress of Russian militias in southern Idlib". Call Syria. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  49. ↑ ""De-escalation zone" | Regime forces renew shelling villages in southern Idlib • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  50. ↑ ""De-escalation zone" | Regime forces renew shelling positions in southern Idlib, while Russian jets fly over the area • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  51. ↑ "Military build-up | 5th Corps send large military reinforcement to frontlines of Jabal Al-Zawiyah • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  52. ↑ ""De-escalation zone" | Opposition factions shoot down Russian drone, and regime forces and factions exchange fire in rural Idlib • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  53. ↑ "Al-Ghab Plain: an exposed area whose farmers are at risk due to regime's targetings". Enab Baladi. 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  54. ↑ "بعد القصف على جبل الزاوية.. فصائل المعارضة ترد". عنب بلدي (in Arabic). 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  55. ↑ "Turkey Deploys 30 Military Vehicles to South Idlib". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  56. ↑ "مقتل 3 عسكريين بقصف لقوات النظام على ريف إدلب". صحيفة جسر (in Arabic). 2021-01-07. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  57. ↑ "قتلى من الطرفين.. تبادل للقصف المدفعي والصاروخي بين النظام السوري والمعارضة على جبهات إدلب واللاذقية". وكالة ستيب الإخبارية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  58. ↑ وعالم, المدن-عرب. "قوات النظام تتسلل و"جيش النصر" يتصدى". almodon (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  59. ↑ "مقتل 11 عنصرًا من "جيش النصر" بتسلل لقوات النظام". عنب بلدي (in Arabic). 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  60. ↑ "Infiltration | Regime forces sneak to positions of "Jaysh Al-Nasr" in Sahl Al-Ghab, killing more than ten • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  61. ↑ "After the killing of 11 fighters of Jaysh Al-Nassir | Rebels target regime forces' gatherings in Idlib and Hama countryside • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.