Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013)

Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013)
	Part of the Syrian Civil War; (Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign)
	; Frontlines in Rif Dimashq from November 2012 to February 2013 Syrian government control Opposition control Contested For a war map of the current situation in Rif Dimashq, see here.
Date	7 November 2012 – 5 February 2013; (2 months, 4 weeks and 1 day)
Location	Damascus, Syria
Result	Syrian opposition victory The Free Syrian Army takes control of Darayya, Zamalka, Harasta and Arbin; Rebel offensive stalls in early January 2013, due to continuing air-strikes; Army launches a major offensive on rebel-held Darayya in mid-January; Rebels launch a new offensive in early February 2013;
Belligerents
Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army; Liwa al-Islam; Al-Nusra Front; Ahrar al-Sham; ;	Syrian government; PFLP–GC; Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
Commanders and leaders
Khaled al-Haboush; (Damascus Military Council commander); Zahran Alloush (WIA); (Liwa al-Islam commander); Bashir al-Ajweh †; (Ghouta Martyrs Brigade commander); Anas Mohammed Al-Baghdadi †; (Rakan Al Dine Brigade commander); Saari Fashikou †; (Member of Damascus Military Council); Maher Al Satlah Abou Omar †; (Brigade of Islam Leader)	Bashar al-Assad; Mohammad al-Shaar (WIA); (Minister of the Interior); Issam Zahreddine; (Republican Guard Brigade 104 commander); Ahmed Jibril (PFLP – GC)
Units involved
Free Syrian Army Damascus Military Council; Ghouta Martyrs Brigade; Rakan Al Dine Brigade; Brigade of Islam; ;	Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army Republican Guard; 3rd Armoured Division; 4th Armoured Division; 10th Mechanised Division; 11th Armoured Division; ; Syrian Air Force; ; Jihad Jibril Brigades;
Strength
4,500 fighters 750–1,000 al-Nusra fighters;	70,000 soldiers; 500 tanks
Casualties and losses
865+ fighters killed	2,925+ soldiers killed
	1,000+ civilians killed

The Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013) refers to a rebel offensive during the Syrian Civil War in the Rif Dimashq Governorate (which surrounds Damascus) which started in November 2012, and a subsequent attempted Syrian Army counterattack in January 2013. Thomson Reuters described rebels as "ramping up attacks on Damascus" in late November and BBC News described the 29 November government counterattack as "an unprecedented offensive against rebel-held districts in the east of the city".