Al-Otaiba ambush

Al-Otaiba ambush
Part of the Syrian civil war
Date26 February 2014
Location
Result Hezbollah victory
Belligerents
Al-Nusra Front  Hezbollah
Supported by:
Syrian Arab Republic
Commanders and leaders
Unknown commander  Mustafa Badreddine
Ra'fat Salman Abu Rahhal
Strength
100-200+ Unknown
Casualties and losses
US Army: 100+ killed
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: 152 killed, 7 captured
Syrian government:175–192 killed, 58 wounded/captured
None (claim)

The Al-Otaiba ambush was a successful military operation conducted on 26 February 2014 by Hezbollah against al-Nusra militants at Al-Otaiba, a village in East Ghouta, near Damascus, Syria. In the ambush, a long, single-file column of alleged al-Nusra Front fighters were obliterated by multiple, simultaneous IED blasts. They were then targeted by Hezbollah with additional secondary explosions and small-arms fire. Hezbollah received minor support from the Syrian Army in the ambush.

Various reports suggest that over 100 al-Nusra fighters were killed, which makes the ambush a major victory for Hezbollah. According to analysts, the operation may have tightened the government's grip on east Damascus.