Al-Dumayr offensive (April 2016) | |||||||
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Part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign of the Syrian civil war | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
Army of Islam [1] | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Abu Jihad al-Shami | Unknown | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Military of ISIL | |||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
35 killed[ citation needed] | 20 killed[ citation needed] | ||||||
18 civilians killed by airstrikes
[3] 250–300 cement plant workers kidnapped by ISIL [4] (170 released, 4 executed) [5] |
The al-Dumayr offensive was a military offensive launched in April 2016 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant near the town of al-Dumayr, east of Damascus, Syria. The attack is notable for the abduction of hundreds of cement plant workers by ISIL. [4]
On 4 April, ISIL attacked areas around the city of al-Dumayr, northeast of Damascus, resulting in 250–300 cement plant workers being abducted from a factory by ISIL. [6] ISIL reportedly massacred 175 of them afterwards, while 75 escaped.[ citation needed] Druze employees were murdered while non-minority Muslims were released. [7] [8]
On 6 April, ISIL launched an attack on the Dumayr Airbase, outside the town, sending five car bombs and killing 12 Syrian soldiers. [9] The attack was repelled by the Syrian Army and the National Defence Forces. [10] Due to a partial ceasefire, the Syrian Armed Forces reportedly allowed some Jaysh al-Islam militants from Ghouta to cross into al-Dumayr in order to fight ISIL. The Syrian Air Force also hit ISIL targets in the front with the rebels. [1]
On 9 April, a new ISIL attack on the airport and power plant was reportedly repelled, [11] after which the airport was declared secured. [12]
On 11 April, a Syrian Air Force plane was shot down by ISIL near the airbase. [13] Two days later, yet another attack on the airbase was repelled, although Army checkpoints outside the base had sustained heavy damage. [14]
On 14 April, the Army launched a counter-attack, quickly recapturing several hilltops, [15] and by the following day, they had retaken control of the Khan Abu Shamat base and the Badia cement plant. [16] [17] On 16 April, the military continued to advance and recaptured the Battalion 559 base, Al-Sini Factory, Al-Safa Station and the triangle Baghdad-Palmyra-Jordan checkpoint, ending the ISIL offensive. [18] [19]