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Syrian Rebels Claim Near Control of a Key Province Syrian Rebels Claim Near Control of a Key Province
(about 1 hour later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian insurgency claimed on Thursday to have near-total control of a strategically important province in the country’s northeast, home to some of the few remaining domestic oil production facilities that supply fuel for President Bashar al-Assad’s military forces, after ferocious clashes that lasted for three days.BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian insurgency claimed on Thursday to have near-total control of a strategically important province in the country’s northeast, home to some of the few remaining domestic oil production facilities that supply fuel for President Bashar al-Assad’s military forces, after ferocious clashes that lasted for three days.
The rebel assertions about the province, Hasaka, would, if confirmed, be at least the third significant gain by the insurgency this week, following the seizure of Syria’s largest hydropower dam and the takeover of a northern military air base with much of its fleet still intact. If confirmed, the rebel assertions about the province, Hasaka, would be at least the third significant gain by the insurgency this week, after the seizure of Syria’s largest hydropower dam and the takeover of a northern military air base with much of its fleet still intact.
In addition, the rebels claimed to have shot down three Syrian Air Force warplanes on Thursday, corroborating their assertions with videos posted on the Internet. If their claims are correct, that would be among the government’s biggest one-day losses of warplanes to insurgent fire in the conflict, which began nearly two years ago as a peaceful protest to Mr. Assad’s autocratic rule and has cost nearly 70,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates. The rebels claimed to have shot down three Syrian Air Force warplanes on Thursday, corroborating their assertions with videos posted on the Internet. If their claims are correct, that would be among the government’s biggest one-day loss of warplanes to insurgent fire in the conflict, which began nearly two years ago as a peaceful protest and has cost nearly 70,000 lives, according to estimates by the United Nations.
The Local Coordination Committees, a network of anti-Assad activists in Syria, said gunners of the Free Syrian Army had felled two warplanes in Idlib Province in the north and one in central Hama Province. Mahmoud al Abdalla, an anti-Assad activist contacted in Idlib, said it was the first time three warplanes had been brought down on the same day. The Local Coordination Committees, a network of anti-Assad activists in Syria, said gunners of the Free Syrian Army had shot down two warplanes in Idlib Province in the north and one in central Hama Province. Mahmoud al-Abdalla, an anti-Assad activist contacted in Idlib, said it was the first time three warplanes had been brought down in one day.
The committees said on Dec. 31 that rebels had shot down three military aircraft on the same day — one warplane over the Damascus suburb of Ghouta and two helicopters, one in suburban Aleppo and other in suburban Idlib. None of these assertions can be verified independently because of press restrictions in Syria. But the Local Coordination Committees said on Dec. 31 that rebels had shot down three military aircraft on the same day — one warplane over the Damascus suburb of Ghouta and two helicopters, one in suburban Aleppo and other in suburban Idlib. None of those assertions can be verified because of news media restrictions in Syria.
Hasaka, about 375 miles northeast of Damascus, borders Iraq and is one of Syria’s richest provinces. It is the heart of Syria’s oil-producing and grain-growing region and is home to a sizable share of the country’s Kurdish minority. Hasaka, located about 375 miles northeast of Damascus, borders Iraq and is one of Syria’s richest provinces. It is the heart of Syria’s oil-producing and grain-growing region and is home to a sizable share of the country’s Kurdish minority.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-Assad group based in Britain that reports on the conflict via a network of contacts inside Syria, said the rebel fighters were led by the Nusra Front, an Islamic militant group known for its combat skills but blacklisted by the United States for its suspected ties to Al Qaeda in Iraq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-Assad group based in Britain that reports on the conflict via a network of contacts inside Syria, said the rebel fighters were led by Al Nusra Front, an Islamic militant group known for its combat skills but blacklisted by the United States over what are suspected to be its ties to Al Qaeda in Iraq.
The observatory said the Nusra Front had led a series of attacks on military and security posts in Hasaka, culminating in an assault on their bases in the town of Shadadah, an important line of defense to the area’s oil resources. The observatory also said that rebels had stormed the administration and housing buildings of Syrian Oil Company workers at the al-Jbeysa fields, the largest in the province, and now controlled those facilities. The group said Al Nusra Front had led a series of attacks on military and security posts in Hasaka, culminating in an assault on bases in the town of Shadadah, an important line of defense to the area’s oil resources. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said that rebels had stormed the administration and housing buildings of Syrian Petroleum Company workers at the Jbeysa fields, the largest in the province, and now controlled those facilities.
At least 100 members of the armed forces were killed in Shadadah, the observatory said, while 30 Nusra fighters were killed, including five from Kuwait and Iraq.At least 100 members of the armed forces were killed in Shadadah, the observatory said, while 30 Nusra fighters were killed, including five from Kuwait and Iraq.
An anti-Assad Syrian activist in the region, Omar Abu Layla, reached by phone, said casualties were high on both sides during three days of clashes, which included the Nusra Front’s detonation of two car bombs outside the headquarters of the state security and military in Shadadah. Omar Abu Layla, a Syrian and anti-Assad activist in the region, reached by phone, said casualties were high on both sides during the three days of clashes, which included Al Nusra Front’s detonation of two car bombs outside the state security and military headquarters in Shadadah.
Mr. Abu Layla said the loss of Shadadah in particular was a setback for Mr. Assad’s forces, which had sought to fortify the city against an insurgent advance. And the loss of the al-Jbeysa fields, he said, “is very important since they supply regime forces with oil needed to operate heavy equipment like tanks, for example.” Mr. Abu Layla said the loss of Shadadah in particular was a setback for Mr. Assad’s forces, which had sought to fortify the city against an insurgent advance. And the loss of the Jbeysa fields, he said, “is very important since they supply regime forces with oil needed to operate heavy equipment like tanks.”
With the fall of Shadadah, he said, “the regime could lose complete control of the province of Hasaka.”With the fall of Shadadah, he said, “the regime could lose complete control of the province of Hasaka.”
He also said the insurgents had seized a trove of ammunition and weapons, including antiaircraft guns, rocket launchers, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, two tanks, 400 Kalashnikov rifles and more than 500 cars, mostly sport utility vehicles. He also said the insurgents had seized a trove of ammunition and weapons, including antiaircraft guns, rocket launchers, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, two tanks, 400 Kalashnikov rifles and more than 500 cars.
In what appeared to be a strategically less significant but symbolically important rebel victory, insurgents also claimed to have overrun an army battalion in the suburbs of Dara’a, the southern city where the uprising first began. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “a lot of men from regime forces stationed in this battalion were either killed or detained by the fighters,” and that army reinforcements were planning to “storm the region.” In what appeared to be a strategically less significant but symbolically important rebel victory, insurgents also claimed to have overrun an army battalion in the suburbs of Dara’a, the southern city where the uprising against Mr. Assad began. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “a lot of men from regime forces stationed in this battalion were either killed or detained by the fighters,” and that army reinforcements were planning to “storm the region.”
Syria’s official SANA news agency made no mention of Hasaka, the downed warplanes or Dara’a in its daily account of insurgent fighting, which, in keeping with government practice, described the rebels as terrorists. SANA said the military claimed a string of victories against terrorist cells in suburban Damascus, confiscation of Israeli-made weapons by terrorists in Homs and a deadly clash between two rival terrorist groups arguing over looted goods in Idlib Province. SANA, Syria’s official news agency, made no mention of Hasaka, the fallen warplanes or Dara’a in its daily account of insurgent fighting, which, in keeping with government practice, described the rebels as terrorists. SANA said the military claimed a string of victories against terrorist cells in suburban Damascus, confiscation of Israeli-made weapons by terrorists in Homs and a deadly clash between two rival terrorist groups arguing over looted goods in Idlib Province.

Hania Mourtada reported from Beirut, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Hwaida Saad and Anne Barnard contributed reporting from Beirut, and Hala Droubi from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Hania Mourtada reported from Beirut, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Hwaida Saad and Anne Barnard contributed reporting from Beirut, and Hala Droubi from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 14, 2013Correction: February 14, 2013

An earlier version of this article misspelled the names of the city and the major oil field facilities in Syria’s northeast Hasaka province that insurgents claim to have captured. The city is Shadadah, not Shadadi, and the oil field facilities are al-Jbeysa, not al-Jabsa.

An earlier version of this article misspelled the names of the city and the major oil field facilities in Syria’s northeast Hasaka province that insurgents claim to have captured. The city is Shadadah, not Shadadi, and the oil field facilities are al-Jbeysa, not al-Jabsa.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 14, 2013Correction: February 14, 2013

An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to the city of Shadadah in northeast Syria. It is not one of the country's 10 largest cities.

An earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to the city of Shadadah in northeast Syria. It is not one of the country's 10 largest cities.