On 7 May 2011, during the
civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, the
Syrian military
The Syrian Arab Armed Forces ( ar, الْقُوَّاتُ الْمُسَلَّحَةُ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ السُّورِيَّةُ, al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥah al-ʿArabīyah as-Sūrīyah) are the military forces of the Syrian Arab Re ...
launched an operation in the Syrian city of
Baniyas
Baniyas ( ar, بَانِيَاس ') is a Mediterranean coastal city in Tartous Governorate, northwestern Syria, located south of Latakia (ancient Laodicea) and north of Tartous (ancient Tortosa).
It is known for its citrus fruit orchards an ...
. The government said it was targeting terrorist groups, while the
Syrian opposition
The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian gover ...
called it a crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. The operation lasted until 14 May 2011.
Prelude
On 9 April 2011, unknown gunmen shot at a military bus traveling through Baniyas, killing nine soldiers.
On 10 April, protests were held in Baniyas in which violent clashes erupted between security forces and protesters. Between three and six people were reportedly shot dead, while one police officer was reportedly killed by unknown gunmen.
On 14 April, snipers killed a
Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
soldier in the city, according to state media.
The operation
On 7 May, preceded by the
successful operation against protestors in Daraa days prior, Syrian Army units entered Baniyas from three directions. They advanced into
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
districts of the multi-ethnic town. Heavy gunfire was reported as the operation began. The next day, 8 May, around 30 tanks were seen patrolling the city, with some of them positioned in the city center.
Syrian Navy boats were also reportedly holding positions near the city's coastline. Special forces units allegedly entered the northern part of the city, from where heavy gunfire was heard.
On 14 May, the military began to withdraw from the city, effectively ending the siege.
See also
References
External links
By All Means Necessary! ''
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
'', 16 December 2011
{{coord, 35.1822, N, 35.9403, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Baniyas Siege
Baniyas
2011 in Syria
Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government
May 2011 events in Syria