2018 Southern Syria offensive

2018 Southern Syria offensive
Part of the Daraa Governorate campaign and the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
Map of the operation   Syrian Army control   Syrian Opposition control   Islamic State control   Reconciliation areas with no Syrian government presence
Date 18 June – 31 July 2018 (1 month, 1 week and 6 days) Location Southern Syria Daraa Governorate Western Suwayda Governorate Quneitra Governorate Result Syrian government victory Territorial changes Syrian Army brings the entire Daraa border with Jordan and the Golan Heights frontier under its full control
Belligerents
Syrian Government Russia (since 24 June) Iran Allied militias: Palestine Liberation Army Liwa al-Quds Shia Iraqi militias Hezbollah (rebel claim) Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas Liwa Fatemiyoun Ba'ath Brigades As-Sa'iqa SSNP Druze militias	Syrian Opposition Free Syrian Army Southern Front  Southern Army (from 8 July)  Ahrar al-Sham  Jaysh al-Islam  Syrian Salvation Government	Islamic State (since 10 July)
Commanders and leaders
Brig. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan (Tiger Forces) Col. Ghiath Dalla (42nd Armoured Brigade) Wajdi Abu Thalith (Former Omari Brigades commander, defected) Brig. Gen. "Abu Yaroub" Sami Fayiz al-Muhithawi † Brig. Gen. Muhammad Naiouf Brig. Gen. Rakan Diab † Brig. Gen. Imad Adnan Ibrahim † (Republican Guard) Brig. Gen. Yusuf Mohammad Ali †(Republican Guard) Brig. Gen. Kamal Sarim  (WIA) Major Duraid Awad Ali Taha (Taha Group) Col. Shady Agha (Liwa al-Quds) Maher Ajeeb Jazza (Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas) Haidar al Jubouri (Liwa Zulfiqar) Sheikh Abu Mu'annis Nabil Saymu'a † (Rocks of Urman Battalion)	Muhammad Majid al-Khatib (Alwiya al-Furqan)  "Abu Hatem" Rakan al-Khadir (Army of Free Tribes)  Abu Ayham (Army of Free Tribes)  Ahmad al-Awda (Youth of Sunna Forces)  "Abu Qusay" Adham al-Akrad  Abu Omar al-Zagloul (Lions of Sunna Brigade)  Adnan Al Masalmeh  Abu Hussian Jelin (Mu'tazz Billah Army)  Abu Hamza Tarbash (Army of the Revolution)	Mohammad al-Refai †(Top commander in Southern Syria)
Units involved
Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army Special Forces Tiger Forces Taha Group Raqqa Hawks 14th Special Forces Division 15th Special Forces Division 4th Armoured Division 42nd Armoured Brigade Republican Guard 1st Corps 7th Infantry Division 9th Armoured Division 5th Corps Al-Tawhid Brigade remnants National Defense Force Quneitra Hawks Brigade Syrian Air Force Russian Armed Forces Aerospace Forces Iraqi Shiite militias Liwa Zulfiqar Hezbollah special forces (rebel claim) Iran IRGC Eagles of the Whirlwind Druze militias Men of Dignity Al-Jabal Brigade Rocks of Urman Battalion	Free Syrian Army Southern Front Army of the Revolution Mu'tazz Billah Army Youth of Sunna Forces Army of Free Tribes Alwiya al-Furqan Lions of Sunna Brigade Central Operations Room in the South Al-Bunyan al-Marsous Operations Room Close Ranks Operations Room Triangle of Death Operations Room Repel the Aggressors Operations Room Repel the Invaders Operations Room Al-Hara Military Council Tasil Military Council Swords of Truth Room Liwa Ahrar Qita Manifest Victory Operations Room Gathering of Revolutionaries of Mahajah Ahrar al-Sham Liwa Omar al-Mukhtar Liwa Muhammad ibn Abdullah Liwa al-Fatah SSG Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham	Military of ISIL Khalid ibn al-Walid Army
Strength
40,000	30,000 Several hundred	1,200–2,400+
Casualties and losses
309 killed	205 killed	310 killed, 150–200 captured
236 civilians killed

The 2018 Southern Syria offensive, code-named Operation Basalt (Arabic: عملية البازلت), was a military operation launched by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies against the rebels and ISIL in Southern Syria. The fighting began with a surprise attack on rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the Daraa Governorate in an attempt to fracture rebel-held lines and weaken morale, ahead of their offensive in the greater Southern Syria region.