Al - Qusayr offensive The al - Qusayr offensive was launched on 4 April 2013 , by the Syrian Army and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah , during the Syrian civil war , with the aim of capturing all villages around the rebel - held town of al - Qusayr , thus tightening the siege of the city and ultimately launching an attack on al - Qusayr itself . The region is an important supply route for rebels fighting Syrian government forces in Homs . Background . Beginning in November 2011 , al - Qusayr was besieged by the Syrian Army . At least 66 residents of the city were believed to had been killed in the conflict before heavier fighting began in February 2012 . The importance of the town is magnified by its location next to Lebanon and as a weapons smuggling route . It also allows for the control of the border with Lebanon and the Lebanese village of al - Qasr . More importantly , it is the location of the highway from Damascus to Homs . From the view of the government , holding access to the road would force opposition fighters from their strongholds in Homs by cutting supply routes . It is also the location for the main road to Tartous , which has a heavy Alawite presence . The offensive . Fighting in the countryside . On 11 April , the Syrian Army , along with a large force of Hezbollah fighters , attacked and captured the strategic hilltop village of Tell al - Nabi Mando from rebel forces . Fighting still continued into the next day but it was described as sporadic . 40 Hezbollah militiamen and Syrian soldiers were killed in the fierce battle for the hill . The importance of Tell al - Nabi Mando is in its strategic location . The force which controls Tell al - Nabi Mando can fire on most border villages in the area . Because of this , people from pro - government villages fled after the opposition had previously captured the hill . On 14 April , after previously warning Lebanon that it would retaliate for Hezbollah ' s participation on the side of Syrian government forces , rebels launched a rocket attack over the border against the Lebanese towns of Hermel and al - Qasr , killing two Lebanese , including a child , and injuring six others . On 17 April , government bombardment of al - Buwaydah al - Sharqiyah killed at least 12 people , including two women and two children . Meanwhile , fighting raged on the outskirts of the town Abil . Opposition activists reported that 700 Hezbollah militiamen were deployed in the town of al - Nazariyeh near al - Qusayr . On 18 April , the FSA took control of al - Dab ' a Air Base near the city of al - Qusayr . The base had no aircraft and was being used primarily to garrison ground troops . Meanwhile , the Syrian Army took control over the town of Abel . The SOHR director described the Army takeover of the town by saying that it will hamper rebel movements between al - Qusayr and Homs city . According to him , the capture of the airport would have relieved the pressure on the rebels in the area , but their loss of Abel made the situation more complicated . 21 rebel fighters , including one commander , were killed during the fighting for Abel . On 20 April , government and Hezbollah troops captured the village of Radwaniyeh , tightening the siege of al - Qusayr . Opposition activists stated that coordination between the military and Hezbollah was very strong and Hezbollah fighters were provided air - cover during their advance . A Hezbollah assault on Burhaniya had also started . Fresh fighting was also reported at Tell al - Nabi Mando , with other clashes raging in the villages of Saqraja and Abu Huri . One activist from al - Qusayr described the situation as very bad with the government forces trying to capture the countryside around the city , in order to attack the city itself . On 21 April , Burhaniya and Saqraja were also captured in the government advance and the Army secured the road linking the Lebanese - Syrian border along the Orontes river to the west of al - Qusayr . At the same time , a new round of rebel rocket strikes hit the Lebanese towns of Hermel and al - Qasr , in retaliation for the Hezbollah participation in the offensive . By this point , eight villages had fallen to the government offensive . Hezbollah forces were advancing from the Bekaa valley toward al - Qusayr , while the Syrian Army was moving south from Homs in a pincer movement . On 22 April , fighting continued between rebels and Hezbollah forces in other villages around al - Qusayr . Rebels alleged that 18 Hezbollah fighters were killed in the clashes . A rebel commander claimed that rebels recaptured the villages of Abou Houri and Al - Mouh . However , there was no independent confirmation . On 23 April , more rebel rocket strikes hit the Lebanese town of Hermel , as a Syrian military source insisted that the capture of al - Qusayr was " just days away , at most " . By 24 April , the front line had moved to the village of Ayn al - Tannur , a few miles northwest of al - Qusayr . Government forces were waiting until their positions in the villages west of the Orontes River were reinforced before they advanced on al - Qusayr . On 26 April , according to the SOHR , very heavy fighting took place on the road from Homs to the coast . Also , clashes were ongoing in the village of Kamam , between Homs and al - Qusayr , as rebels were making attempts to capture it . On 29 April , six rockets from Syria hit Macharih el - Qaa in the Bekaa valley , in Lebanon , injuring one person . On 2 May , clash took place in the Jusiya area near the Lebanese border between rebels and the Syrian army , as well as pro - government militiamen , who also include Hezbollah members . On 4 May , according to SOHR , the orchard area surrounding al - Qusayr was seeing fighting between the Army and rebel forces . Several parts of al - Qusayr were under bombardment . The clashes left five rebels dead , including a rebel commander . Fighters from Hezbollah ' s elite forces also participated in the clashes and were able to take control of most of the villages surrounding the city in the previous days . On 5 May , al - Qusayr was bombed by the Army while fighting raged on the edge of the town . The opposition SNC called for rebel reinforcements to be sent to al - Qusayr . Iranian Press TV reported that the military had captured the last major rebel stronghold east of the city , Tal Hanash , and thus completing the encirclement of al - Qusayr . On 6 May , clash took place on the edge of the town of al - Sloumiya and a rocket fired from Syria towards Lebanon fell on al - Qasr in Hermel , six others fell between Dabbabiya and Noura in Akkar . Fighting was also ongoing for a second day on the outskirts of al - Qusayr . By 7 May , rebels stated they were in danger of losing al - Qusayr after being swept from the surrounding villages . On 8 May , heavy fighting continued in al - Qusayr , with mediation underway between government forces and some local " elements " to make the rebels withdraw from the town although many were still refusing to leave . There were unconfirmed reports that Hezbollah forces had massacred 30 people who were attempting to leave the city and taken their bodies away . On 9 May , the Syrian army took control of Shumariyeh , near al - Qusayr , and continued to advance towards the village of Ghassaniyeh . Meanwhile , three shells from Syria hit Hermel , in Lebanon , and two others fell on Macharia al - Qaa . On 10 May , according to a military source , the Army dropped leaflets over the city warning citizens to evacuate al - Qusayr ahead of an assault . An opposition activist , who toured two villages on the edge of the town , denied this stating no leaflets were dropped . However , a local resident who lives near al - Qusair confirmed the leaflet drop . Hezbollah shelling of the city hit the main water tank and filtration station . By this point , an estimated 25 , 000 civilians remained in the city . It was also reported that three Lebanese rebel fighters were killed in the fighting in the area and another 36 were missing . On 11 May , rebels recaptured Abel , potentially easing the movements of opposition forces between al - Qusayr and Homs . However , the military captured it once again the very next day . During their advance , the Syrian army managed to break the siege of the Christian village of Ghassaniyeh . The village was besieged by rebel forces for eight months . On 13 May , government forces captured the towns of Damina al - Gharbiyah , Haidariyeh and Ish al - Warwar , north of al - Qusayr , allowing them to block supplies to the rebels in the city . This left only three more targets the military needed to capture before reaching the northern outskirts of al - Qusayr , including the Al - Dab ' a Air Base which the rebels captured the previous month , before completely surrounding the city . The army had already secured the southern and eastern approaches to al - Qusayr and another force was advancing from the west of the town . On 18 May , the rebels ambushed Hezbollah fighters along the banks of the Assi river on the Syrian side of the Lebanese border while they attempted to enter Syria . 10 Hezbollah militiamen were killed . Still , by early next morning , a new Hezbollah force was reportedly heading towards al - Qusayr . On the night of May 18 to 19 , heavy fighting raged between the Army and the rebels around the al - Dab ' a Air Base . The Army also bombarded the rebel - held village of Boueida al - Sharqiya . Battle of al - Qusayr . On 19 May , after two days of calm , planes , artillery and mortars bombarded al - Qusayr in the early hours of the morning . Later in the day , government troops , backed - up by hundreds of Hezbollah militiamen , stormed the city from several directions . Clashes at nine points in and around al - Qusayr were reported during the day . Syrian troops entered the center of the city later in the day , seizing the town ' s main square and its municipality building , a military source said . One opposition activist denied that government forces made gains , but another opposition activist confirmed the Army had captured the municipality building and were in control of 60 % of the city . By the second day of the battle , state media claimed they had restored " stability " in the town ' s east , and was still hunting " remnants of terrorists " in some northern and eastern areas . An opposition source also reported the fighting to be concentrated in the northern part of the city . SOHR said there were conflicting reports as to whether or not the Syrian army was fighting inside al - Qusayr city , but had reports which confirmed that they were gathering near the western neighborhood of al - Qusayr " in order to lay siege on the city itself " . Thick black smoke could also be seen from the direction of the air base , north of the city , as government troops fought to retake the facility . Activists in Qusayr claimed that government and Hezbollah forces had been pushed back to their starting positions on the outskirts of the city , while a FSA spokesman claimed that the government force ' s efforts to enter the city were being blocked by the FSA . Another opposition activist once again reaffirmed that government forces had captured the municipality building and the city center and had pushed out rebel units out of most of al - Qusayr . An Al Jazeera reporter in Beirut also said that it seemed that the Army had control of most of the town . On the third day of the fighting , elite Hezbollah reinforcements were sent from Lebanon across the border to al - Qusayr . SOHR had also confirmed , for itself , for the first time that fighting was raging in the city itself . The clashes had spread to the border village of Hit , where two rebels were killed and several wounded . On 22 May , George Sabra , president of the SNC , issued a call for reinforcements to be sent to al - Quasyr stating " Everyone who has weapons or ammunition should send them to Qusair and Homs to strengthen its resistance " . The Islamic Tawheed Brigade reportedly sent a convoy of 30 vehicles to al - Quasyr from Aleppo . Later , Abu Firas of the Tawid brigade claimed that a total of 300 support units arrived in al - Qusayr , adding that they also sent an ambulance , an antiaircraft weapon and ammunition . Days later , an opposition activist denied any reinforcements had arrived in al - Qusayr , stating that " No one is helping Qusair other than its own men " . One rebel source said government and Hezbollah forces had cut most of the oppositions overland supply lines into al - Qusayr and some others reaffirmed that they believe government troops had captured about 60 percent of the city , while a government official claimed they controlled up to 80 percent of the city . Government troops were advancing cautiously amid heavy fighting which largely destroyed the city . Morale among Army personal was reportedly high as " news broke " about the killing of al - Nusra Front commander Abu Omar . Military commanders on the ground said that battle for al - Qusayr was far from over and it could take one more week to retake the northern part of al - Qusayr where rebels were entrenched . Meanwhile , opposition forces were still holding the al - Dabaa air base . The military reported that they killed 100 rebel fighters on the first day of the battle for the city . The opposition activist group SOHR stated that 76 rebels , 31 Hezbollah fighters , 12 government soldiers and militiamen and eight civilians were killed during the first three days of the fighting . Per other opposition activist estimates : 90 rebels , 30 Hezbollah fighters and 20 government soldiers and militiamen were killed during the first two days . Lebanese sources stated that 12 - 20 Hezbollah members were killed . By the fourth day of the fighting , 89 rebels had been killed , including six Lebanese . On the fifth day , the number of Hezbollah fighters dead had risen to 46 . It was reported on 24 May that government forces were advancing in the nearby town of Hamdiyeh , in an attempt to cut the opposition forces ' last supply line into al - Qusayr . An Army officer stated that the rebels were confined in a triangle linking Arjun , al - Dabaa and the northern part of al - Qusayr . A large force of rebels had retreated to the al - Dabaa air base . The approach of the Army was described as being slow and methodical , taking over small bit of ground from rebels and consolidating it before advancing again . Very few reinforcements reached the rebels , due to the control of surrounding roads by the government . On 25 May , government and Hezbollah forces had also reportedly breached rebel defence lines at the al - Dabaa air base from the northwest and entered the facility where fighting was ongoing , according to the Army . SOHR reported that the fighting was taking place around the base , while rebels were still maintaining control of it , though it was being heavily shelled by government forces . On 27 May , Army and Hezbollah troops captured the town of Hamidiya after heavy clashes . The fighting than shifted to the village of Haret al - Turkumen , which the Army was trying to capture in order to put al - Qusayr under " complete siege . " An opposition activist said that government forces had captured two - thirds of al - Qusayr , while another activist said the Army was preventing rebel reinforcements from reaching the city . The reinforcements , who were trying to relieve the pressure on al - Qusayr , were bogged down on the outskirts of the city . Also , a Lebanese woman was killed in a rebel mortar attack on the Hezbollah stronghold of Hermel . On 29 May , state media reported that government troops had captured the air base after five hours of fighting in and around it . Hezbollah ' s Manar TV aired footage , relayed from its TV crew embedded with government troops , of tanks being deployed inside the air base and soldiers walking around empty hangars . Syrian Army forces were then reportedly advancing on the nearby town of Dabaa . SOHR and a spokesman for the rebel Farouq Battalions confirmed the capture of the air base the next day . On 30 May , government troops had captured the village of A ' rjoun , six kilometers to the northwest of al - Qusayr , thus leaving rebels in a situation with little chance of escaping from the northern part of al - Qusayr . The same day , 300 rebels managed to reinforce al - Qusayr , breaking through Army lines at the village of Shamsinn . 11 rebels were killed during the breakthrough . However , despite this , rebel general Selim Idris stated that rebels in the city were " heavily outgunned and overwhelmed " by government forces and warned of defeat if the West did not react to help them . On 31 May , the Army captured the village of Jawadiyeh outside al - Qusayr , closing all entrances leading to the town and tightening the government ' s siege . On 5 June , Syrian state TV reported that the Syrian Army gained full control of the city . The rebels stated that they had pulled out of the city . One Hezbollah fighter said that they took the town in a rapid overnight offensive , allowing some of the rebels to retreat . A source close to the Syrian military said that the Army was carrying out mop - up operations in the northern quarter of al - Qusayr . The rebels had reportedly retreated north to the village of Dabaa , which was still partially under rebel control . More than 500 rebels were killed and 1 , 000 wounded during the battle , out of a force of 1 , 900 fighters . 70 – 110 Hezbollah fighters were killed , according to opposition sources , of which at least 100 were confirmed by a Hezbollah fighter . An unknown number of Syrian Army soldiers were killed . Mopping - up operations . On 6 June , government forces shelled the village of Buwaydah , where most rebels from al - Qusayr had retreated , although some remained in the orchards around al - Qusayr and in Dabaa . Later in the day , the Syrian Army captured Dabaa . The next day , SOHR reported that fighting was still ongoing on the outskirts of Dabaa . Artillery attacks against Buwaydah were also still continuing . At least a dozen refugees from al - Qusayr were killed during Army shelling of the surrounding orchards . Later in the day , government forces captured the nearby villages of Salhiyeh and Masoudiyeh . With the capture of the villages , government forces advanced to the edge of Buwaydah . According to state TV , troops broke into the village later that night and were pursuing the rebels there . The Army , for its part , claimed to had captured Buwaydah , but this was not independently confirmed . On 8 June , Buwaydah was captured by government forces , thus making the whole of the al - Qusayr region come under government control . Rebels in Buwaydah suffered heavy losses during the final assault and dozens of rebels , including a number of foreign fighters , were captured alive . Rebels claimed that during the day the Army attacked a refugee column of 2 , 000 people , which included rebel fighters and civilians , who were surrounded in the orchards around al - Qusayr . A rebel spokesman claimed that 110 people , including including 40 women and children and 20 rebel fighters , were killed . Strategic importance . The main aim of the offensive to capture the al - Qusayr area , and thus most of Homs province , was seen by some as possible preparations for three things . One , to establish a corridor from Damascus to the Mediterranean coast , which is the Alawite heartland , and thus laying the groundwork for a possible new state , which would include about a third of Syria . Or two , securing a withdrawal route in case government forces abandon Damascus and decide to retreat to the coast . Or three , to secure the supply route for a final counterattack towards Homs . The city of al - Qusayr is " crucial to supply routes for both sides " .