Harasta ( ar, حرستا, Ḥarastā, syr, ܚܪܣܬܐ, Ḥarastā), also known as ''Harasta al-Basal'' or ''Hirista'', is a city and northeastern suburb of

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

Rif Dimashq Rif Dimashq Governorate ( ar, محافظة ريف دمشق, ', literally, the "Governorate of the Countryside of Damascus", Damascus Suburb) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the c ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. Harasta has an altitude of 702 meters. It has a population of 34,184 , making it the 43rd largest city per geographical entity in Syria.

History

During the Syrian Civil War, it was one of the earliest rebel-held cities in Syria (see

Battle of Douma The Battle of Douma was a military engagement during the Syrian Civil War. The battle began on 21 January 2012, after Free Syrian Army fighters changed their tactics from attack and retreat guerrilla warfare in the suburbs of Damascus to all-out ...

and

Rif Dimashq clashes (November 2011–March 2012) The Rif Dimashq clashes were a series of unrests and armed clashes in and around Damascus, the capital of Syria, from November 2011 until a stalemate in March 2012. The violence was part of the wider early insurgency phase of the Syrian Civil ...

). Before the war, Harasta had been home to the 104th and 105th Republican Guard regiments and has a high population of

Alawites The Alawis, Alawites ( ar, علوية ''Alawīyah''), or pejoratively Nusayris ( ar, نصيرية ''Nuṣayrīyah'') are an ethnoreligious group that lives primarily in Levant and follows Alawism, a sect of Islam that originated from Shia Isla ...

in the suburbs, although it was a site of several anti-government protests in 2011. Harasta was reported under rebel control by early 2012. In March 2012 and again on 21 October 2012 it was reported that Harasta was under heavy government shelling. On 25 October, the Syrian army fired heavy tank and rocket barrages, after rebels overran two army checkpoints on the edge of the town. On 26 October 2012, it was shelled with heavy artillery, killing at least 10."Dozens killed as Syria cease-fire ends within hours,"
Los Angeles Times (27 October 2012). Retrieved 5 May 2013. On 30 October, government airstrikes targeted Harasta.Al Arabiya with Agencies

Al Arabiya News (30 October 2012). Retrieved 5 May 2013. It reported to be under regime control on 25 November 2012. In August 2013 it was reported under rebel control with government advances on key points in the town. Government control but rebel advances were reported in January 2014. It was reported targeted by chemical attacks in April 2014. Territory in Harasta changed hands repeatedly during the

Rif Dimashq offensive (September 2015) The Rif Dimashq offensive (September 2015), or the battle of "Allah al-Ghalib", was a battle launched by the rebels around Tall Kurdi, Adra and Harasta in Eastern Ghouta. The offensive On 11 September, the Jaysh al-Islam grouping launched t ...

. It has been the site of fighting in the

Battle of Harasta (2017–18) A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

. On 23 March 2018, the Syrian army captured Harasta.

References

Cities in Syria Populated places in Douma District Suburbs of Damascus {{RifDimashqSY-geo-stub