Battle of Sadad

The Battle of Sadad On 21 October 2013, the town, which is strategically located between the city of Homs city and the capital Damascus, was reportedly overrun by Islamist militants belonging to the al-Nusra Front. At the time of the attack, no government military or militia forces were in the town, except local police. However, following the battle, the bodies of almost 50 civilians were discovered in Saadad, including those of seven people, three of them children, in a well. Also, opposition fighters entered the Mar Theodore Church damaging it and stealing Church items. Some Saadad residents were able to flee the neighbourhoods controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra, which were being bombarded by Army artillery. By 28 October, the Army had taken back control of Sadad with the militants retreating from the town. 30 of the dead were reportedly found in two mass graves. Another 10 civilians remained missing. More than 100 government soldiers and 100 rebels, including 80 jihadists from ISIS and al-Nusra, were killed in the fighting. Foreign rebel fighters were also among the dead. The rebels retreated to the surrounding farmland, with the military in pursuit, and the government news agency reported that the militants had vandalized Sadad's Saint Theodor Church and much of its infrastructure. == After the battle ==

One week after the Army recaptured Saadad, on 4 November, the military also captured the al-Hazm al-Wastani area, which is by Mahin and Sadad. A day after the capture, the head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party from Sadad was killed during fighting with rebels in the surrounding countryside. On 5 November, rebels launched a large attack on the weapons depot at Mahin during which 50 rebels and 20 soldiers were killed. The next day, the SOHR reported that opposition forces managed to capture several buildings in the 30-building complex and seize a large quantity of weapons. A government source denied both the capture and the seizure and stated fighting was still ongoing. On 15 November, government forces recaptured the weapons depot, as well as the nearby town of al-Hadath and the village of Howarin. A rebel commander was killed during the last day of fighting in the area. == References ==