ConflictBarometer_2016

MIDDLE EAST AND MAGHREB
western neighborhoods of Aleppo city. On July 7, government
forces laid siege to eastern Aleppo city and blocked the
Castello road, the only supply line to opposition-held parts of
the city. On July 9 and 10, opposition fighters attacked government
forces in an attempt to reopen the road, whereby
32 fighters were killed. Between August 1 and 2, opposition
groups advanced into government-held parts of the city. Subsequently,
the government announced a large counter-attack
to recapture the positions. By August 8, the government had
reinforced its troops with 8,000 fighters, while militants received
additional fighters from the Aleppo region and Idlib
governorate. Heavy clashes as well as Russian and Syrian
airstrikes reportedly left at least 500 people dead by the end
of the month. Between September 12 and 18, a US-Russian
brokered truce was in effect. Following the government's
announcement to retake the whole city on September 22,
ensuing heavy airstrikes on the city and clashes reportedly
led to 400 persons killed and 1,700 injured by the end of the
month. De Mistura stated that Russian bombardment of civilian
areas with bunker busting bombs could amount to war
crimes. Starting on October 4, government and allied forces
advanced into opposition-held areas of the city. Towards the
end of the month, opposition forces launched a counteroffensive,
building a 15 km front line with 1,500 fighters and
using car bombs, rockets, and mortar shells. Reportedly, at
least 40 civilians, 55 pro-government fighters, and 64 opposition
fighters were killed between October 29 and 31.
By November 19, all hospitals in the eastern city were destroyed.
Between mid-November and November 26, another
200 civilians and 134 opposition fighters were killed, while
the opposition killed 19 persons by attacking governmentheld
parts of the city. At the end of November, 20,000 people
fled eastern Aleppo city, while 50 were killed during the attempt.
Government forces successively advanced until capturing
the whole city on December 22.
In Idlib, government and Russian warplanes, attacked positions
of Jaish al-Fatah, throughout the year. For instance,
between January 9 and 10, air raids on the opposition held
town of Maarat al-Numan and surrounding areas left at least
96 killed and dozens injured. An attack on the Kamouna
refugee camp killed 28 and injured 50 on May 5. Russian and
Syrian officials denied being involved in the attack, accusing
Jabhat al-Nusra of having used multiple rocket launchers
against the camp. On May 12, an airstrike killed 16 Jabhat
al-Nusra leaders during a meeting at the Abu al-Duhur
airbase. Towards the end of the month, government and
Russian warplanes heavily bombarded Idlib city, killing 23
persons and forcing thousands to flee. Subsequently, Jaish
al-Fatah announced to withdraw their military headquarters
from the city. On June 11, Iranian officials made a ceasefire
deal with Jaish al-Fatah for the opposition-controlled
towns of Zabadani and Madaya, Rif Dimashq governorate, as
well as the pro-government towns of Fu'ah and Kefraya. On
December 19, during the siege of Aleppo, Russian, Turkish,
and Iranian officials agreed on evacuating about 4,000 people
with buses from Fu'ah and Kefraya in exchange with the
evacuation of 35,000 people, among them 4,000 fighters,
from eastern Aleppo to Idlib. Moreover, 1,500 persons were
evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.
In the coastal areas, government forces mainly clashed
with Jaish al-Fatah in Latakia governorate. Throughout the
year, government forces with Russian air support repeatedly
targeted opposition positions in the mountains Jabhal al-
Turkmen and Jabhal al-Akrad. In the first half of the year they
advanced in areas where militants had been in control for at
least two years.
For instance, government forces captured the town of Salma
from Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups after three months
of heavy clashes. In the following days, the government encircled
the town and killed dozens of militants in airstrikes.
Backed by intensive Russian airstrikes, the government had
recaptured another 35 villages by the beginning of February
and regained control over the M4 Highway connecting the
Jabhal al-Turkmen and the opposition-held town of Jisr al-
Shugur in Idlib. On February 16, government forces started
an offensive to retake the town of Kinsabba, Latakia, seizing
it two days later. Jaish al-Fatah recaptured the town between
June 27 and July 1, despite heavy airstrikes, forcing government
forces to withdraw. By mid-August, pro-government
forces had expelled them again, while clashes in the area continued.
Moreover, fighting and airstrikes in Jabhal al-Turkmen
forced the remaining 800 villagers in the area to flee to the
Turkish border in April.
In Rif Dimashq, government forces supported by Russian warplanes
repeatedly clashed with opposition fighters, mostly
Jaish al-Islam, and advanced in Eastern as well as Western
Ghouta governorate.
Increased fighting between opposition groups in Eastern Ghouta
enabled the government to recapture large swaths of
territory from April onwards [→Syria (inter-opposition violence)].
Since August, at least seven opposition-controlled towns surrendered
after heavy clashes and government sieges.
Thousands of residents and fighters were evacuated and
bussed mostly to Idlib in the aftermath. On August 25 in
the town of Daraya, after a four-year long government siege
and weeks of continuous bombardments as well as clashes,
residents and opposition fighters agreed to surrender. As a
consequence, most of the fighters were transferred to Idlib
governorate, while civilians were transferred to governmentheld
areas in Damascus city.
In Damascus governorate, government forces repeatedly conducted
airstrikes and clashed with opposition forces in areas
such as the village of al-Nashabiyah and the Damascus neighbourhood
of Jobar. For instance, in the first week of April,
government forces heavily attacked Jobar, after groups such
as Jaysh al-Islam had reportedly violated a ceasefire and attacked
government-held areas.
In Homs governorate, clashes mainly occurred between government
forces and IS. At the end of August, government
officials and opposition forces in the opposition-held neighborhood
al-Waer of Homs city signed a deal to end the government
siege as well as attacks on the area, while militants
agreed to withdraw in return.
In Hama governorate, government forces and opposition
groups such as Ahrar al-Sham, al-Nusra and FSA clashed repeatedly.
Between May 2 and 6, hundreds of prisoners captured
the Hama Central Prison as well as several guards, to
prevent the transfer of five inmates to a military prison near
Damascus. During negotiations over the release of 500 out
of 1,400 prisoners, security forces entered the prison on May
6. Reportedly, a tribal leader negotiated the release of 800
186