Battle of Raqqa (March 2013)

Battle of Raqqa
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Course of the battle, and control in Raqqa as of October 2013      Syrian Army control      Opposition control
Date 3–6 March 2013 (3 days) Location Raqqa, Syria Result Major rebel victory Rebels seize Raqqa. Rebels capture two senior government officials in the city. The 17th Division retreats northwards to its headquarters.
Belligerents
Al-Nusra Front Islamic State of Iraq Ahrar ash-Sham Free Syrian Army	Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Arab Army Syrian Air Force Local police
Commanders and leaders
Unknown top provincial Al-Nusra commander † Unknown top provincial Ahrar al-Sham commander †	Brig. Gen. Khaled al-Halabi (Raqqa's state security head) Maj. Gen. Hassan Jalili  (POW) (Provincial governor) Suleiman Suleiman  (POW) (Provincial Baath party's secretary general)
Units involved
Muntasir Billah Brigade Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa	17th Division
Strength
~7,000 fighters	400 soldiers
Casualties and losses
40–50 killed	30 killed 300 captured
More than 100 civilians killed from 4–5 March (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimate) 39 killed in air raids on 6 March.

     Syrian Army control

Major rebel victory

Al-Nusra Front
Islamic State of Iraq
Ahrar ash-Sham

Syrian Arab Republic

The Battle of Raqqa (March 2013) was a battle for control of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa during the Syrian Civil War between rebel insurgents and the Syrian Army. Rebel forces launched the offensive in early March 2013, and declared themselves in "near-total control" on 5 March 2013, making it the first provincial capital claimed to come under rebel control in the civil war. The battle, on the opposition side, was primarily led by Al-Nusra Front.

...
Wikipedia