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 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 the ...

and

Shaizar Shaizar or Shayzar ( ar, شيزر; in modern Arabic Saijar; Hellenistic name: Larissa in Syria, Λάρισα εν Συρία in Greek) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby lo ...

to the west,

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 ...

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 ...

to the north, Taybat al-Imam and Suran to the east,

Khitab Khattab ( ar, خطاب, also spelled Khutab or Khattab) is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, northwest of Hama located near the Orontes River River. Nearby localities include Qamhana to the east, S ...

and Qamhana to the southeast, Tayzin to the south and

Maarzaf Ma'arzaf ( ar, معرزاف) is a village in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Asilah to the west, Mahardah to the north, Khitab to the east and Umm al-Tuyur to the ...

to the southeast. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Halfaya had a population of 21,180 in the 2004 census. It is the largest locality in the Mahardah Subdistrict, which contained 21 localities with a combined population of 80,165 in 2004.General Census of Population and Housing 2004
. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Hama Governorate.

History

In 1838, Halfaya was classified by scholar Eli Smith as a Sunni Muslim village. In the early

French Mandate The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate fou ...

period in Syria, Halfaya was a ''musha ("

collective farming Collective farming and communal farming are various types of, "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...

") village with a population of roughly 1,000. During that period, twelve clans collectively held the 47 faddans that made up the village, despite the fact that property titles indicated that the land was divided between the holders. On 16 December 2012, during the Syrian civil war that began in early 2011, opposition rebels assaulted Syrian Army checkpoints in the vicinity and Halfaya was shelled by government forces. The fighting and shelling resulted in the deaths of 23 civilians in the town according to the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), and a later report by New Lines Institute. By 18 December rebels reportedly overran army positions around Halfaya and gained control over the town. Rebels had advanced south from

Maarrat al-Nu'man , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +3 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +2 , blank_name = Climate , blank_info = BSk , coordinates= , e ...

and Jisr ash-Shugour, encountering little resistance. On 23 December government airstrikes hit a bakery in Halfaya while several people were queuing for bread. According to anti-government activists at least 90 people were killed, while fatalities have also been reported to be as high as 200. On 19 May 2013, the Syrian Army took control of Halfaya after rebel forces retreated from the town. In late August 2014, the rebels took control of Halfaya as part of their push towards Hama's military airport. The army recaptured it at a later date, but the rebels again took it in August 2016. The town was then recaptured by the SAA in April 2017.

References

Bibliography

* * {{Hama Governorate, mhardeh Populated places in Mahardah District Towns in Hama Governorate