The Battle of Khirbet Al-Joz was fought between forces of the Syrian Army and the FSA for control of the town. On 6 October 2012, the FSA launched an attack on the government occupied village of Kherbet Eljoz, near the Turkish border. The FSA took control of the village after a 12-hour-long battle with government forces.[3]
| Battle of Khirbet Al-Joz | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2012–April 2013) (Syrian Civil War) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Free Syrian Army | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| unknown | Abu Baeda (Kaws al-Nasser Brigade commander) Abdelwahed Wahud(Army defector) | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| 45th Army Regiment | unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 110 soldiers | 250 fighters | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 40 killed[1] | 9 killed[1] | ||||||
| Total: 50 killed[2] | |||||||
Background
In June 2011, the Syrian military attacked the town, with 40 tanks in a crackdown against supposed pro-democracy protesters.[4]
Battle
Rebel offensive
On 6 October, rebels launched an offensive on the border village Khirbet al-Joz in the Idlib Governorate. The FSA was said to first attacked a government border outpost just west of the village. Which left 3 rebels and 15 government soldiers dead.[5] Fighting later intensified in Khirbet al-Joz itself, as rebels attempted to retake the village. Activists claimed that the rebels had captured a 3-story high water tower in the center of Khirbet al-Joz, after 12 hours of fighting with government forces.[1]
On 7 October, the FSA released a statement indicating that they have taken full control of Khirbet al-Joz and its surroundings.[1] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the capture and put the number of dead at 40 soldiers, including 5 officers and 9 rebels.
Aftermath
In late October, the Syrian army conducted a series of airstrikes on rebel positions near Khirbet al-Joz.