Siege of Nubl and al-Zahraa

Siege of Nubl and al-Zahraa
	Part of the Syrian Civil War
	; Syrian Army soldiers after breaking the siege of Nubl and al-Zahraa, 3 February 2016. A flag of the local "Soldiers of the Mahdi" (Imam Hujja Regiment) forces is in the foreground.
Date	19 July 2012 – 3 February 2016; (3 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and 1 day)
Location	Nubl and Al-Zahraa, Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Result	Decisive Syrian government victory Rebel failure to capture Nubl and Al-Zahraa; Syrian Army and allies break the siege in an offensive in early 2016;
Belligerents
Free Syrian Army; Islamic Front; al-Nusra Front; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant	Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Armed Forces; Iran; Russia (from late 2015); Allied militias:; Hezbollah; Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba
Commanders and leaders
Abu Qudama al-Urduni †; (Al-Nusra commander of Harim and Salqin); Sheikh Mahmoud al-Khayr †[better source needed]; Abu ‘Isma’aeel al-Hamwi †[better source needed]	Mohsen Ghajarian †
Units involved
Free Syrian Army Al-Tawhid Brigade; Conquest Brigade; Liwa Ahrar Souriya; Saladin Ayubi Brigade;	Syrian Armed Forces National Defence Forces; Local Defence Forces Baqir Brigade; ; Syrian Air Force; Iranian Armed Forces Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Iranian Air Force; Russian Armed Forces Russian Air Force; Lebanese and Syrian Hezbollah Imam al-Mahdi Scouts; National Ideological Resistance; Quwat al-Ridha; Soldiers of the Mahdi; Imam Hujja Regiment;
Strength
Unknown	3,000 NDF fighters; 125 Lebanese Hezbollah fighters

The siege of Nubl and al-Zahraa during the Syrian civil war was laid by rebels to capture two Syrian government-held towns north of Aleppo, after they had seized most of the northern countryside in July 2012. The siege was lifted on 3 February 2016, as a result of a Syrian government offensive.^[15]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d UNHRC (2013), p. 22.
^ ^a ^b ^c sohranas (April 2015). "The clashes continue around Nasib border crossing, and the helicopters drop 9 barrel bombs on Ibtaa and al- Sheikh Meskin". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
^ "The Assad Regime and Jihadis: Collaborators and Allies?". 12 February 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference iraqi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference cuts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "How Jordanians Came to Dominate al-Nusra Front". Al Akhbar English. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference unable was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ UNHRC (2013), pp. 17, 22.
^ "Captain Bewar Mustafa: BKK prevents the entry of relief materials to Afrin". Kobani Kurd. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (15 August 2016). "Syrian Hezbollah Militias of Nubl and Zahara'". Syria Comment. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (23 May 2016). "The Local Defence Forces: Regime Auxiliary Forces in Aleppo". Syria Comment. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
^ Cite error: The named reference 64sohr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Ripley 2018, p. 33.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference embarrassing was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Laila Bassam (4 February 2016). "Syrian army and allies breaks rebel siege of Shi'ite towns: army". Reuters.

[FOOTNOTEUNHRC201322-1] UNHRC (2013), p. 22.

[rebel-2] sohranas (April 2015). "The clashes continue around Nasib border crossing, and the helicopters drop 9 barrel bombs on Ibtaa and al- Sheikh Meskin". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 5 April 2015.

[3] "The Assad Regime and Jihadis: Collaborators and Allies?". 12 February 2014.

[iraqi-4] Cite error: The named reference iraqi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[cuts-5] Cite error: The named reference cuts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] "How Jordanians Came to Dominate al-Nusra Front". Al Akhbar English. Retrieved 8 July 2015.

[unable-7] Cite error: The named reference unable was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEUNHRC201317,_22-8] UNHRC (2013), pp. 17, 22.

[9] "Captain Bewar Mustafa: BKK prevents the entry of relief materials to Afrin". Kobani Kurd. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2018.

[syrian_hezbollah-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (15 August 2016). "Syrian Hezbollah Militias of Nubl and Zahara'". Syria Comment. Retrieved 19 February 2018.

[auxiliary-11] Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (23 May 2016). "The Local Defence Forces: Regime Auxiliary Forces in Aleppo". Syria Comment. Retrieved 20 February 2018.

[64sohr-12] Cite error: The named reference 64sohr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTERipley201833-13] Ripley 2018, p. 33.

[embarrassing-14] Cite error: The named reference embarrassing was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[15] Laila Bassam (4 February 2016). "Syrian army and allies breaks rebel siege of Shi'ite towns: army". Reuters.

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