Battle of Zabadani (2015)

The Battle of Zabadani (2015) started in early July 2015, during the Syrian Civil War, as a military offensive launched by the Syrian Army, and Hezbollah to capture the rebel-held town of Al-Zabadani.

Background
Prior attempts at negotiating a peaceful outcome between the government and the rebels in Zabadani failed.

The battle
On July 3, 2015 Hezbollah and the Syrian Army launched an offensive against Zabadani and reportedly seized Qalaat Al-Tal hill. The following day, they broke into Zabadani and reportedly captured the southwestern part of the city, specifically the Jamiyat neighborhood. News reports indicated that many civilians fled the city. On 5 July, it was reported that the rebels mined and fortified their positions inside the besieged city ahead of expected heavy street fighting.

By 9 July, the Syrian Army and Hezbollah controlled half of Zabadani following six days of clashes. In the same day, the Syrian Army carried out a powerful assault on al-Nusra Front's positions in the village of Al-Zahra, next to Zabadani. They captured a number of points while under the cover of the Syrian Air Force's airstrikes. By 12 July, Hezbollah reportedly advanced deep into Zabadani, capturing Al-Zahra Castle, the majority of the western part of the city and the Al-Zalah neighborhood in the south of Zabadani.

On 13 July, government forces captured the Hay al-Sultani neighborhood in the southeastern part of the town, thus closing Zabadani's southern entrance and cutting of the town from nearby Madaya. According to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar television station, 200 rebels, 16 government soldiers and 12 Hezbollah fighters had been killed since the start of the battle, while another 43 rebels were captured. On 14 July, government troops destroyed a 360-meter tunnel passing under the main highway linking Zabadani and the village of Madaya. During the day, the Army seized the Kahraba roundabout and al-Hakl al-Asfar Street, reinforcing its control of Zabadani's entrance. Before nightfall, government forces captured a collection of empty villas along Jamal ‘Abdel-Nasser Street that were being used by the rebels.

By 15 July, the Syrian Army and Hezbollah were advancing towards the center of Zabadani and had effectively encircled rebel forces in the town. Hezbollah and the Syrian Army’s 63rd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division issued the rebels an ultimatum to “surrender or die”. It was reported on 16 July, that the Syrian Army's and Hezbollah's grip of Zabadani had tightened, after a failed rebel attempt to counterattack Hezbollah in the southern part of the town, along with dwindling rebel supply lines. It was also reported that dozens of al-Nusra Front fighters had begun to surrender to government forces.

On 18 July, the Syrian Army claimed that an SAA ambush killed more than 40 rebels in Zabadani. The following day, three rebel fighters were killed by Army snipers in a failed attempt to infiltrate the besieged city. By this point, according to the pro-opposition group the SOHR, the Army and Hezbollah had managed to take wide sections of Jamiyat, as well as parts of the northwest and southeast of the city, fully besieging it, but had still not managed to fully take control of Zabadani.

On 21 July, Syrian government troops captured the Zabadani plains, while continuing to search for al-Nusra's main supply tunnel between Zabadani and Madaya. At this stage, the military was still unable to enter the Old Town area of Zabadani, where rebel forces had barricaded themselves. This was due to the mountainous area, that most of the rebels were local fighters who are familiar with the city, the closeness of rebel supply lines and due to a single rebel command. Since the start of the offensive on Zabadani, 600 barrel bombs were dropped on the town. The next day, government forces further advanced in the city after rebels withdrew from some areas due to heavy airstrikes and shelling. They also reportedly captured the Barada-Zabadani road.

On 22 July, Syrian government forces made more advances in Zabadani's outskirts, after a military push from the plains. The next day, the Army reiterated their “surrender or die” ultimatum to the rebels, saying it was their final warning, as government forces reportedly captured the village of Al-Marawah, near Madaya. On the night between 24 and 25 July, the rebels launched a surprise attack and reportedly seized several government checkpoints. On 25 July, the rebels trapped inside Zabadani issued a statement urging assistance from other rebel groups, while also accusing the UN and Staffan de Mistura's team of collaborating with Bashar al-Assad. By this point, the remaining 1,200 rebels were trapped in a space about three kilometres by three kilometres.

On 30 July, 30 rebel fighters were reportedly killed in combat, with the SAA and the Hezbollah attempting to push the rebels to the east of Barada Street and get closer to Zabadani’s downtown area. The previous day, the city had been pounded by 40 airstrikes by the SAAF. By 3 August, the rebel controlled areas of Zabadani had diminished considerably. The same day the SAA and the Hezbollah captured the Mahata Neighborhood after a three hour battle. Government sources report that the SAA had hit Al-Zabadani with over 300 missiles and mortar shells that day. Government forces were now reportedly progressing towards encircling the downtown area. By 4 August, the rebels had lost more territory, and Syrian government sources announced that the final assault on Al-Zabadani was merely days away.

Urban clashes and ceasefire
On 5 August, reports surfaced that one of the rebel groups were, via an intermediary in the Lebanese Government, attempting to negotiate a secure withdrawal for their fighters in exchange for safe passage to 30,000 civilians trapped inside the towns of Al-Fou’aa and Kafraya. SOHR also reported that pro-government forces had made further advances. However, the next day it was reported that negotiations had failed and pro-government troops had made further advances into the city's core with fights now taking place inside the downtown area. By 7 August, the rebels had lost more territory as well as 19 fighters, with the al-Nusra and the FSA now entrenched at Hikmat Street.

On 8 August, the Syrian government forces announced they had breached the rebel's defense line and entered Zabadani's downtown area, capturing the central bus station. Troops also destroyed a Command and Control Center, thus eliminating the rebels' ability to communicate with their armed combatants. On 9 August, The NDF and the Hezbollah were reportedly merely metres away from the city centre. If captured, the government forces anticipate the end of the rebel insurgency in the city.

On 10 August, pro-Syrian government forces captured the Imam Ali Mosque, with the Hezbollah pressing on from the southern perimiter. SOHR reported that negotiations are still taking place between the parties. The following day, a 48-hour ceasefire was brokered by Iranian mediators. During this time, fighters would be allowed to leave the city by bus, but there was some contention amongst some rebel groups as to whether or not to accept the settlement. However, the fragile cease fire was broken by the rebels from the al-Nusra Front merely hours later. The government forces were reportedly now in control of nearly 75% of Al-Zabadani. According to Al-Manar, 40 islamist rebel fighters surrendered themselves to the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah on 13 August.

On 15 August, the cease fire officially ended with the government now be in control of 85% of the city. The rebels, being encircled, were now said to rely on tunnels for their transportation of supply and manpower. Shortly afterwards, negotiations between the government and the rebels failed following a disagreement on the number of rebel captives to be released from government-held prisons. On 17 August, the SAA and the Hezbollah captured 46 buildings, killing 16 rebels in the process midst heavy aerial bombardment. Following their advancement, the government forces issued the rebels with the final ultimatum of surrendering or preparing for their last stand. The ultimatum given to the rebels was set for 72 hours and will lapse on 20 August and included a possibility of amnesty for surrendering rebel combatants. On 18 august, five rebel combatants reportedly surrendered in order to have their case tried before an amnesty council in Damascus, although most rebels were reported to still be holding out in the hopes of a deal being brokered by Turkish and Iranian mediators.