The Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018), code-named Operation Damascus Steel, was a military offensive launched by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in February 2018 in a bid to capture the rebel-held eastern Ghouta suburb during the Syrian civil war. East Ghouta, a pocket of towns and farms, had been under government siege since 2013 and had been a major rebel stronghold in the vicinity of the capital of Damascus. According to the United Nations, nearly 400,000 people live in East Ghouta.
On 14 April, the Syrian Army fully captured the Eastern Ghouta pocket. Before the offensive had concluded, the Associated Press reported that the capture of the whole rebel-held Eastern Ghouta enclave would represent one of the most significant victories for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, and the worst setback for the rebels since their defeat in the Battle of Aleppo in late 2016. Similarly, Reuters stated the capture of Eastern Ghouta would represent the biggest prize for President al-Assad since the full recapture of Aleppo. During the offensive, one of the heaviest bombardments of the war took place with more than 4,000 people being killed by air and artillery strikes.
Background
With most of the suburbs of Damascus recaptured by the Syrian government by February 2018, there remained a significant swathe of the countryside near the capital city captured by fundamentalist rebels from the mainstream ones in 2012 that had been under siege by pro-government forces since 2013. The rebels used to shell the capital daily and tried to infiltrate it many times.
Syrian forces began bombarding and shelling the area in early February after Russian-brokered peace talks failed, killing 200 by 8 February, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. They again started bombarding it on 18 February, and did so for eight consecutive days before beginning the ground offensive.
The main rebel faction in the area was Jaysh al-Islam, based in Douma (with an estimated 10,000–15,000 fighters in the region in early 2018). The second largest was Faylaq al-Rahman, an official affiliate of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), controlling much of central and western parts of Ghouta, including the Jobar and Ain Terma districts. In addition, Ahrar al-Sham (based in Harasta) and Tahrir al-Sham (HTS—controlling smaller districts such as Arbin, Hawsh Al-Ash'ari and Bait Naim, with an estimated strength in the area of 250–500 in February 2018) had a far smaller presence.
Offensive
Initial bombardment
On the evening of 18 February 2018, heavy artillery and airstrikes began targeting the rebel-held East Ghouta enclave. The Syrian Air Force launched large-scale air raids over the region, with warplanes reportedly striking rebel defensive positions, hospitals, and residential areas in and around the district towns of Douma, Hamouriyah, Saqba and Mesraba. Accompanying artillery shelling and rocket strikes pounded rebel territory. Overall, 260 rocket and air-strikes were conducted during the day. By the following day, the strikes had reportedly killed 94 civilians. Concurrently, government troops were preparing for a ground assault, establishing positions on both the western and eastern axis of the pocket. Early rebel retaliatory mortar attacks on central Damascus killed one civilian. Around midnight between 19 and 20 February, the Russian Air Force joined the offensive as well, targeting several rebel-held districts.
On 22 February, the Syrian Army dropped leaflets over Ghouta, calling on residents to leave the area and urging opposition fighters to hand themselves over. Meanwhile, a total of 16 civilians had been killed and about 128 wounded in retaliatory rebel rocket attacks on Damascus between the 18 and 20 February. On 24 February, despite an adopted resolution by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, it was reported that airstrikes continued after the vote.
Ground assault
At around 8:30 a.m. local on the morning of 25 February, hours after the United Nations Security Council called for a 30-day truce, a ground assault began with the Syrian Army's 4th Division capturing multiple points around the Bashoura Air Defense Battalion on the southeastern front of the pocket on the Hazrama and Tal Farzat approach. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that the Army captured the town of Al-Nashabiyah, the villages of Hazrama and Al-Salihiyah, and the hilltop of Tal Farzat from Jaysh al-Islam fighters—continuing the advance towards Hawsh Zariqiyah. However, pro-government sources later reported Al-Nashabiyah and Hazrama had not been captured, but instead partially surrounded. At around 10:00 a.m., an assault on a new axis commenced with Syrian Army units attacking the rebels on the Harasta-Arbin front in the northwestern part of the pocket. The Army's 4th Division also pushed into the rebel-held Al-Ajami district of Harasta, capturing some buildings in the area. Meanwhile, it was initially reported that the heavily fortified village of Hawsh Dawahra was also captured in the east of the pocket, however it was later confirmed that the assaulting government troops were ambushed by the rebels, with up to 15 soldiers killed and a tank captured. The village remained under rebel control. Among the army's weapons used to level entire swathes of rebel trenches and fire support positions in the assault was the UR-77 (УР-77) Mineclearing System.
The same day as the ground operation started, a video surfaced of the Syrian Army's Brigadier General Suheil al-Hassan speaking to troops in Damascus, while being guarded by Russian and Syrian soldiers. During his speech, al-Hassan said: "Damascus awaits you, to dress her in victory... With God, we will be victorious, and with faith, we will be victorious. Remember that each one of you decided to fight to defend the truth, dignity, and to save Syria and its people". By the end of the day, Jaysh al-Islam claimed to have killed 70 pro-government fighters and captured 14 on the first day of the ground offensive. In contrast, the UK-based pro-opposition activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported 13 soldiers and six rebels were killed, while two soldiers were captured.
On 25 February, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a thirty-day humanitarian ceasefire. Nonetheless, Syrian Army advances continued on 26 February, with the 4th Division capturing a large part of the Harasta orchards, including an elaborate tunnel complex, according to pro-government sources. The advances were reported to be "notable". Local opposition NGOs reported a chlorine attack on al-Shifaniyah, a town close to the front lines, killing a child. The next day at 09:00 a.m., Russia called for a five-hour truce. A "humanitarian corridor" was opened for civilians to leave the area; however, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence, it was shelled by rebel groups in order to prevent civilians from leaving the area, although this was denied by rebels. The Syrian Interim Government called the corridor a choice between "death under bombardment" or a forced displacement, and called for UN aid. The UN and other humanitarian organisations said that it was impossible to deliver aid under such conditions and called for the combatants to abide by its 30-day ceasefire. A major pro-government air attack was reported in Douma that day.
By 27 February, it was reported that the offensive had caused some 560 casualties in 10 days, including 107 children.
A second five-hour truce was called by Russia on 28 February. However, early that day, following a night-time operation, pro-government forces captured Hawsh Dawahra. During the fighting for Hawsh Dawahra, government forces utilized a mobile bridge to cross a moat near Sifco Laboratories and seize rebel trenches. The Army also made attempts to advance towards the town of Al-Shifouniyah, where they made limited gains during the day. It was later reported that Army troops managed to enter Al-Shifouniyah. The next day, the Syrian army captured Bashoura Air Defense Base, south west of Hawsh Dawahra.
After the third round of night-time assaults, government forces captured the village of Hawsh Al-Zarqiyah on 2 March, after which the Army started shelling the nearby town of Utaya. Later in the day, the Army also captured the Battalion 274 base, south of Al-Shifouniyah. Meanwhile, the rebels launched a counter-attack within Harasta, which went on for hours, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides. The next day, the Army took control of Utaya, Al-Nashabiyah and Hazrama, as well as most of Al-Shifouniyah. The Army also attacked the town of al-Rayhan in the northeastern part of the Ghouta pocket, but was repelled. The advances took place following heavy fighting throughout the day for Utaya, with the army eventually seizing the town. Pro-government sources described the rebel defense of Utaya as "fanatical", and said the most violent clashes took place in the town's northern outskirts. Following the capture of Utaya, the rebel defense of Al-Nashabiyah and Hazrama quickly collapsed, leaving the two towns fully surrounded. Within one hour, the Army captured Al-Nashabiyah and Hazrama without resistance after it became clear the rebels had retreated from the towns in the final hours of fighting for Utaya to avoid being besieged. Hours later, it was reported that the Army was on the verge of also completely taking control of Al-Shifouniyah. At this point, Michael Stephens of the London-based think tank Royal United Services Institute told The National that the fall of the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta pocket was "inevitable". In the evening, the Army reportedly reached two new rebel-held towns, while the rebel supply line along the Douma-Al-Shifouniyah road came within range of their artillery. During their advances over the previous several days, the Army had broken through a 12-kilometre defensive belt linking Al-Nashabiyah with Rayhan called "The Trench of Death".
On 4 March, the rebels managed to recapture large parts of Al-Shifouniyah in a counter-attack. Meanwhile, the Army's Republican Guard captured the town of Beit Naem in the south of the pocket. Following the advances over the previous two days, the Army started operations to split the Eastern Ghouta pocket into two parts, with 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) remaining for this to be accomplished. A spokesman for Jaysh al-Islam claimed via Twitter that rebels had killed 150 soldiers since the previous night. Contrary to this, the SOHR reported 12 soldiers had been killed. Several hours after the capture of Beit Naem, the Army had retaken full control of Al-Shifouniyah.
By 5 March, 35% of the Eastern Ghouta pocket had been taken by the Syrian Army, which was 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of rebel-held Douma. Pro-government sources reported that the 4th Armoured Division captured several farms to the northwest and came within one kilometer of cutting the Harasta-Douma road, and that the government's Tiger Forces had made advances in the south of the pocket. An aid convoy reached the region for the first time since the start of the offensive, but the government stripped it of some supplies (70% of its truckloads according to the World Health Organization) and it was forced to withdraw without delivering aid after government shelling.
Early on 6 March, most of al-Rayhan, in the northeast of the pocket, was reportedly captured after the army advanced north of Al-Shifouniyah. In the afternoon, the Army's Tiger Forces captured the town of al-Muhammadiyah in the south of the pocket. The same day, Russia offered the rebels and their families safe passage out of Eastern Ghouta. The rebels rejected the offer as "psychological warfare" and stated their defense lines had been re-established after crumbling in the first days of the offensive. Farms around Mesraba, Beit Sawa and Hawsh Al-Ash'ari had been captured by the army by the end of the day.
Splitting the pocket
On 7 March, pro-government forces intensified their artillery and aerial bombardment. The military captured Beit Sawa and Hawsh Al-Ash'ari, clearing the way for an attack on nearby rebel-held Mesraba. Later, Mesraba was being struck by "preparatory fire" before a planned infantry assault. Civilians fled rural frontline areas into Douma, sheltering in basements. By nightfall, pro-government forces had practically cut the Eastern Ghouta pocket in two with artillery fire. At this point, government troops advancing from the east were between 1 and 1.3 kilometers from reaching the army's Harasta vehicle base on the pocket's western edge. The SOHR said that at least 867 civilians had been killed by bombing and shelling in the offensive, with at least 62 killed on 7 March.
In response to the Syrian Army's gains, the rebels reported they were deploying more guerrilla-style ambushes in lost territory in an attempt to stop further advances. On 8 March, the military captured the town of Hawsh Qubaybat, as well as the Aftris Air Defence Battalion base, near the rebel-held town of Aftris.