The Battle of Zahleh (Arabic: معركة زحلة) was a battle in the Lebanese Civil War that took place between December 1980 and June 1981. During the seven-month period, the city of Zahle endured a handful of political and military setbacks. The opposing key players were on the one side, the Lebanese Forces (LF) aided by Zahlawi townspeople, and on the other side, the Syrian Armed Forces, then part of the peace-keeping Arab Deterrent Force (ADF) aided by some Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) factions. Demographically, Zahleh is one of the largest predominantly Christian towns in Lebanon. Adjacent to the town's outskirts, the Bekaa valley, spanning the length of the Syrian borders. Given Zahleh's close proximity to the Bekaa Valley, the Syrian Armed Forces feared a potential alliance between Israel and the LF in Zahleh. This potential alliance would not only threaten the Syrian military presence in the Bekaa valley, but was regarded as a national security threat from the Syrians' point of view, given the close proximity between Zahleh and the Beirut-Damascus highway. Consequently, as a clamp-down strategy, the Syrian forces controlled the major roads leading in and out of the city and fortified the entire Valley. Around December 1980, tension increased between Zahlawi Lebanese Forces and Syrian-backed Leftist militants. From April to June 1981, throughout the four-month period, a handful of LF members, aided by Zahlawi Local Resistance, confronted the Syrian war machine and defended the city from Syrian intrusion and potential invasion.
Background
The Lebanese Civil War began in April 1975, pitting the Christian-rightist militias of the Lebanese Front against the Muslim-leftist militias of the Lebanese National Movement (LNM) and their Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrilla factions' allies. This early phase lasted two years until the Syrian Army invaded Lebanon under the pretext of "stopping the war and protecting the Christians". However, it was later revealed that the Syrian Army had entered Lebanese territory at the beginning of the war under the cover of the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) in order to put the resisting Christians in a vulnerable position in the war so that they would demand a Syrian intervention for their protection. The Christians, who were represented in the war mainly by the Phalangists, demanded in 1978 the withdrawal of all Syrian military forces from the country because they had turned into occupiers and their intentions became clear. In addition, Syria switched sides and stood with the PLO after the Camp David Accords in order the lead the Arabs in the conflict against Israel. As a result, tensions began to mount between the Christian militias and the Syrian Army, which led to the Hundred Days War that resulted in the expulsion of the Syrian Army from East Beirut and most of Mount Lebanon. These areas were called the "Free Areas".
Prelude
Since the beginning of the Civil War, the city of Zahleh's key strategic location served as a key artery for the armed factions involved in the conflict, particularly for the Syrian Armed Forces who occupied the adjacent Bekaa Valley from May 1976. Throughout history, the city of Zahleh served as a trade hub for commerce; located between Damascus on the East side, including the fertile Bekaa valley that borders Syria, and Beirut City on the opposite west side. Although the inhabitants of Zahleh readily took advantage of their location for trade and commerce, their geo-strategic location was a deterrent on the socio-political level between 1980 and 1981. From the west side, the city lies at the base of the 8,622 feet high Mount Sannine. The peak of Mount Sannine, not only overlooked the entire Bekaa Valley, but the Israeli-occupied Golan heights and even further. With that said, the Syrian's securing at least the base of Mount Sannine prevented any potential Israeli or LF attempts to scrutinize the occupied Golan Heights and further deep into Syrian territories.
The Syrian reaction
Strategically, the prime concern of the Syrians was to curb the Christian-controlled city's geo-strategic attributes. Consequently, the Syrian Army blocked the main roads leading in and out of the city. The Syrian forces, however, remained stationed outside the city, in particular, along the outskirts. The Syrian Army's Chief-of-staff at the time, General Hikmat Chehabi expressed concerns over a free and uncontrolled Zahleh falling into the hands of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israelis were providing military aid to the LF, whose presence was apparent inside Zahleh. Chehabi's concern was, that the LF might hand over the base of mount Sannine to the Israelis, given the mount peek outlooks the Golan heights and deep inside Syrian territories. To that end, Chehabi foresaw a problematic scenario on more than one level. One, if the Israeli Defense Forces cut through Zahleh city and position their troops along its outskirts, they would be stationed only four miles West of the Syrian fifth division stationed in the town of Chtaura, located by the Beirut-Damascus highway. Two, such a scenario, if actualized, would not only threaten Syrian military presence in the Valley, but even the Syrian capital itself – the Israelis would be 8.6 miles West of the Syrian border and 31 miles from the Syrian capital, Damascus. For that reason, the Syrian 85th and 78th brigades along with the 7th division regrouped across the valley. In addition, Chehabi provided logistical support to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) al-Yarmouk, al-Kostol and Ain Jallout conventional mechanized brigades positioned between the Litani and Zahrani rivers.
Initial Syrian setbacks
Prior to the December setbacks, the Syrian Intelligence Service assassinated several members of the predominantly Christian Kataeb and Ahrar parties in order to turn one against the other, but the local leaders of these parties were aware of the Syrian plans. Congregating surreptitiously in and around Zahle, the Moukhabarat then facilitated the entry into the town of a small dissident Christian militia commanded by Elias El-Hannouche (nicknamed "Hannache"), the Free Tigers (also known as the "Hannache Group"). Tensions between the local right-wing LF militiamen and the newcomers soon began to mount. The catalyst to the initial setbacks ensued when Hannache and its Free Tigers attempted to seize control of the offices of the National Liberal Party (NLP) in Zahle. On December 22, 1980, clashes broke out between local LF members and the Hannache's Free Tigers, which resulted ultimately in the expulsion of the latter from Zahle. After previous failed attempts, the Syrians tried to enter the city, but the LF responded swiftly and during the confrontation a total of five Syrian soldiers were killed. As a result, the Syrian Forces shelled the overpopulated city for six consecutive hours, to pressure the Zahlawis to hand over the militiamen responsible for the killings. To further increase the psychological pressure on the town's inhabitants and its LF garrison, the Syrian checkpoints dispersed around the outskirts of the city blocked the flow of foodstuffs and other supplies going in and out from Zahle, and Syrian MIGs flew over the city for a long period of time. On the international level, the disproportionate Syrian reaction triggered widespread international criticism. France for example, described the shelling as a barbaric act; Washington described the shelling as a deplorable Syrian act. Consequently, the shelling stopped due to the international pressure; the turmoil cooled off between January and March due to heavy snow storms the city endured during the winter of 1980–81. The two sides, however, remained alert while preparing for the upcoming conclusive battle.
Preparation for the battle
The dire socio-political situation of Zahle alarmed the LF High Command in Beirut. A weighty LF presence, however, was scarce in and around the turmoiled city. In addition to the impeding Syrian siege, the initial setbacks coincided with a harsh snowy winter. The siege and the rugged snowy mountains encumbered the LF and hindered the ability of trained elite LF fighters to come from Beirut to aid local Zahlawis and local LF. Nonetheless, the LF Commander-in-chief Bashir Gemayel, dispatched his Chief-of-staff Dr. Fouad Abou Nader to assess the dire situation in Zahleh. Reaching the city was problematic for Abou Nader on two levels: in addition to the cold winter and the heavy snow descending on the highest city of Lebanon, the Syrians controlled most of the main roads leading in and out of the city. To reach the city safely without being compromised by the Syrians, Abou Nader had to take foot trails and walk down the mountain in the snow, cutting down through the el-Berdawni river. Upon reaching the town, Abou Nader noticed that, although the Syrians blocked the northern access leading in and out the city, the southern access, in particular the Chtaura road, was nevertheless open to circulation. To that end, arms were smuggled into the city, hidden in trucks carrying loads of wheat. A task-force of 120 trained Commandos from the LF Central Units under the dual command of Joe Edde and Kayrouz Baraket (a senior militia commander of the Guardians of the Cedars) was dispatched from Beirut to Zahleh to reinforce and organize the local 1,500 Christian militiamen and the citizens of Zahle, and preparing them for the upcoming battle. They used bulldozers in order to move the snow from the roads and set up a direct telephone line from Zahle to the LF military headquarters in Karantina. The Lebanese Forces began preparations for the siege by setting up a temporary field hospital and formed social assistance groups to oversee the needs of the local population. Plus, landmines were laid down, trenches were dig, and barricades were set up.
On the other hand, the Syrians surrounded Zahle from all sides and they consolidated their positions on previously-controlled hills. This made any movement by the Lebanese Forces in the city open to be seen by the Syrian Forces. The Syrians started kidnapping several Zahliots and tortured them. Tensions between the Zahliots and the Syrians intensified during the last two weeks of March 1981.
The battle
First phase
On April 1, 1981, the Syrians moved in to control two hills, Harkat and Hammar, which links Zahle to the mountains. They were seen by the Lebanese Forces and they fired back. This was the trigger that started the battle of Zahle. The Lebanese Forces assumed their positions according to the plan that was put to defend Zahle.
The bridge in Zahle witnessed a ruthless battle on April 2–3 where the massive Syrian attack lasted from night till dawn and they weren't able to control it. During the battle for the bridge, the Syrian artillery pounded the city continuously which led to the death of tens of Zahliots while the Syrian Army lost about 50 men. Plus, the bridge was the place of the "massacre of tanks" since the Lebanese Forces were able to destroy more than 20 Syrian tanks in 2 days. The tenacity and courageousness and effectiveness of the fighters of the Lebanese Forces made the Syrians assume that Israeli soldiers were fighting alongside them.
During the engagement, the Zahliots moved from the combat areas to a huge building because it was able to sustain a lot of damage. The Syrians focused their bombardment on this building until it collapsed on those hiding inside it which led to the death of 30 Zahliots, mainly women and children, while the Lebanese Forces were able to rescue 7 Zahliots who were still alive under the rubble. One of the rescued children was an 8-year-old boy who was yelling "Phalange, help, save me!" The dangerously wounded were taken to France for treatment.
On April 4, a civilian automobile driven by a Christian nun named Marie-Sofie Zoghby accompanied by 2 nurses, Khalil Saydah and Salim Hamoud, that brought bread and medicine to the local hospitals was car was severely hit by Syrian fire which caused it to slam into a wall. The Syrians continued shooting at the car even after it crashed. The Lebanese Forces engaged in combat with the Syrians in order to be able to pull the bodies out of the car. The 2 nurses with her were Muslims and that showed that the Christians were not alone.
The then Lebanese minister of public works Elias Hrawi sent a message from the Zahliots to the Syrian President, Hafez al-Assad, telling him that the only way to put an end to the fighting was to send the Lebanese Army to Zahle and that they will continue to resist the Syrian siege until this solution was implemented. President Assad simply replied that his army would not be defeated by a militia.
After the intense fighting in the first two days, Bashir Gemayel decided to send more troops from Beirut to help with in the defense. In addition, MILAN anti-tank missiles were also sent to stop the advance of the Syrian tanks.
Second phase
After the failing to enter Zahle through military might, the Syrian Army centered its operations towards the surrounding hills to tighten its siege over the town.
The Lebanese Forces knew that they could not defeat the Syrians in the battle for the hills due to their large numbers and their air superiority. They decided to try and fight for a few strategic hills so that they could keep the mountainous roads available for use for the movement of ammo and food.