Key Facts
- Duration
- December 2016 – January 2017
- Key site
- Ain al-Fijah water spring
- Water supply affected
- Towns throughout Rif Dimashq Governorate
- UN designation
- Airstrike on spring called a war crime
Strategic Narrative Overview
Between December 2016 and January 2017, Syrian Army units, pro-government militias, and Lebanese Hezbollah launched a coordinated offensive into the Barada River valley. During the fighting, a government airstrike struck the Ain al-Fijah spring, temporarily destroying it and cutting drinking water supplies to towns across the governorate. The United Nations condemned the strike on the civilian water source as a war crime.
01 / The Origins
The Wadi Barada valley, located northwest of Damascus, was held by anti-government rebel forces during the Syrian Civil War. The valley contains the Ain al-Fijah spring, a primary drinking water source for much of the Rif Dimashq Governorate. Syrian government forces sought to retake the area, both to eliminate a rebel enclave near the capital and to reassert control over this strategically vital water infrastructure.
03 / The Outcome
The offensive concluded in January 2017 with Syrian government forces regaining control of the Wadi Barada area. The destruction of the Ain al-Fijah spring disrupted water access for civilian populations in the greater Damascus region. Repair and restoration of water supplies became an immediate humanitarian priority following the end of active combat operations in the valley.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent