The 2012 Hama offensive was a military operation during the
Syrian Civil War launched by the
Syrian opposition on 16 December 2012, with the intent of taking control of the
Hama Province. The offensive was stopped after the Syrian Army launched a counter-offensive, leaving the rebels in control of only half a dozen towns and villages in the north of the province.
Background
With the Hama province largely controlled by Army Forces, the FSA launched an offensive on 16 December, to capture the province and Hama city itself and by the same time, cutting the principal supply route of the Army in Aleppo.
The offensive
The rebel military council of Hama announced the start of the offensive on 16 December, giving Syrian government troops in the province an ultimatum to surrender to the
Free Syrian Army within 48 hours.
Within two days, the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Qassem Saadeddine, a member of the
Free Syrian Army military command, claimed that Syrian government troops had already been cleared from the towns of
Halfaya
Halfaya ( ar, حلفايا, also spelled Helfaya) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located about 25 kilometers northwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Mahardah and Shaizar to the west, al-Lataminah ...
,
Kafr Nabudah
Kafr Nabudah ( ar, كفر نبودة, also spelled Kafar Nabuda) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Qalaat al-Madiq and Jamasat Udayat to the west, a ...
,
Hayalin
Hayalin ( ar, حيالين, also spelled Hayaleen or Hiyalin) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby localities include al-Suqaylabiyah, the administrative center of the ...
,
Hasraya,
al-Lataminah
Al-Lataminah ( ar, اللطامنة, also spelled ''Latamneh'' or ''Latamnah'') is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Karnaz to the northwest, Kafr Zita to ...
,
Taybat al-Imam and
Kafr Zita
Kafr Zita ( ar, كفر زيتا, Kafr Zaytā, also spelled Kfar Zita, Kafr Zayta, Kfar Zeita, Keferzita or Kafr Zeita) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located 30 kilometers north of Hama. Nearby localitie ...
, leaving the rebels in control of the rural western part of Hama Province, and all areas north of Hama city.
Rebels had advanced south from
Maarrat al-Nu'man
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, e ...
and
Jisr ash-Shugour, encountering little resistance. It seemed that rebels had overrun Syrian Army lines north of Hama city within 48 hours.
Government positions in
Khan Shaykhun
Khan Shaykhun ( ar, خَان شَيْخُون, Ḵān Šayḵūn), sometimes spelled Khan Sheikhoun or Khan Shikhoun, is a town in the Maarrat al-Nu'man District, within the southern Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria.
Khan Shaykhun is locate ...
and
Mhardeh
Maharda ( ar, محردة, Maḥarda, ), also spelled Mhardeh or Muhardah, is a city in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located about 23 kilometers northwest of Hama. It is situated along the Orontes River, near t ...
were reportedly under attack by rebel forces.
The rebels also made claims of fighting inside Hama city itself, with international analysts wondering if the Syrian Army was redeployed towards
Homs and
Latakia. However, this was not confirmed.
On 19 December, according to the
Local Coordination Committees
The Local Coordination Committees of Syria ( ar, لجان التنسيق المحلية في سوريا: ''LCCSyria'' or ''LCCs'') are a network of local groups that organise and report on protests as part of the Syrian uprising. In June 2011, t ...
(LCC), Syrian Government security forces reportedly set up checkpoints outside Hayalin, leading to doubts as to whether or not rebels had full control over the town, unlike the other places they captured in the operation.
On 20 December, rebels attacked and captured parts of the town of
Morek in Hama's countryside, and were surrounding the Alawite towns of
Ma'an
Ma'an ( ar, مَعان, Maʿān) is a city in southern Jordan, southwest of the capital Amman. It serves as the capital of the Ma'an Governorate. Its population was approximately 41,055 in 2015. Civilizations with the name of Ma'an have existe ...
and
al-Tleisa.
On 23 December, the LCC and SOHR reported that up to 300 civilians were killed by bombing from warplanes in the city of Halfaya, while queuing for bread at a bakery. The Syrian Government did agree that many women and children were killed, however they blamed rebel fighters who they say attacked the town.
On 26 December, the Syrian Army retook control of three Alawite villages, including Ma'an, repelling the rebels who had entered them days earlier.
On 29 December, six people were killed by the Syrian air force bombardment on the town of Kafr Nabudah, two of them were children and two women. Also, one civilian was killed by the bombardment on the town of Taybat al-Imam. A week later, Assad forces from
Qamhana, attacked this same town.
On 30 December, the Syrian Army general command announced that they took back control of the strategic town of Morek.
On 31 December, Syrian Army shelling was reported on Halfaya.
Aftermath
On 21 January 2013, SOHR said that a car bomb near the headquarters of a pro-government militia killed 50 people in the eastern suburbs of Hama.
On 22 January, the military launched an offensive, with the aim of recapturing territory lost during the rebel advance into northern Hama. 1,500 soldiers and 100 tanks were being used in the operation, and the focus was on the town of
Kernaz in
Mhardeh District
Mahardah District ( ar, محردة ') is a district (mantiqah) administratively belonging to Hama Governorate, Syria. At the 2004 Census it had a population of 143,953. Its administrative centre is the city of Mahardah.
Sub-districts
The distri ...
, where up to 1,000 rebel fighters were based. By early February, the rebels were reportedly in fear of losing Kernaz and with it Kafr Naboudeh. This would leave the military in control of the whole north of Hama, reversing all previous rebel gains.
On 6 February, 54 government employees of a defense-related factory were killed in
al-Buraq
The Buraq ( ar, الْبُرَاق "the lightning") is a heavenly equine or chimeral beast in Islamic tradition that notably served as the mount of the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his Isra and Mi'raj journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and u ...
south of Hama city, when a mini-bus blew up at a bus stop.
On 7 February, the military recaptured Kernaz, after 16 days of fighting.
Two days before, the Army had also regained control of the nearby town of Mughir, securing a corridor to Alawite villages in the west of the province.
References
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Hama offensive
Hama offensive
Hama Governorate in the Syrian civil war
Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government
Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Free Syrian Army
December 2012 events in Syria