Daraa offensive (February–May 2014)

Daraa offensive (February–May 2014)
	Part of the Syrian civil war
Date	3 February – 27 May 2014; (3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days)
Location	Daraa Governorate, Quneitra Governorate, and As-Suwayda Governorate, Syria
Result	Indecisive Rebels capture the Gharaz central prison, Daraa grain silos, three villages, five strategic hills, Battalion 508 and Brigade 61 HQ.; Rebels temporarily lift the siege of Nawa, before it was besieged again; Rebel attack on Busra al-Sham repelled; Army captures two areas south of Quneitra city, and Tal Buraq hill;
Belligerents
Free Syrian Army; Islamic Front Ahrar ash-Sham; Al-Nusra Front	Syria Syrian Armed Forces; National Defense Force; Hezbollah; Arab Nationalist Guard
Commanders and leaders
Brig. Gen. Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir; (FSA Chief of Staff, 16 February 2014–present); Col. Ahmad Al-Na’meh; Brig. Gen. Salim Idris ; (FSA Chief of Staff, until 16 February 2014)	Maj. Gen. Suheil Salman Hassan; (5th Armoured Division); Fauzi Ayub †; (Senior Hezbollah commander)
Units involved
58 light armament battalions	5th Armoured Division (Syria) 12th Armored Brigade; 15th Mechanized Brigade; 112th Mechanized Brigade; 132nd Mechanized Brigade; 175th Artillery Regiment; 9th Armored Division 52nd Armored Brigade;
Strength
30,000 fighters, according to unnamed "opposition websites"	17,000 soldiers and militiamen

The 2014 Daraa offensive (also known as the Battle of Geneva Houran) was a campaign during the Syrian Civil War launched by rebel forces, including the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic Front and Al-Nusra Front, to push back government forces in the Daraa Governorate, Quneitra Governorate, and As-Suwayda Governorate, in southwestern Syria, and thus opening the road to Damascus.

The offensive was launched on 3 February 2014 and declared after a meeting between FSA battalions and Islamic factions, which established a joint operations room. It was also reported that the FSA operations rooms in Daraa, Damascus and Quneitra were incorporated in this joint operations room as well. Local rebel commanders stated that thousands of rebels who had western military training would be involved in the Daraa offensive. The Persian Gulf states had promised to send rebels in Daraa large amounts of weaponry, including anti tank weapons and air missiles.

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