The following is atimeline of theSyrian Civil War from January to April 2016. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found atCasualties of the Syrian Civil War.
After days of clashes with theFree Syrian Army andIslamic Front Forces theSyrian Army seize 55-60% ofSheikh Miskeen at the Daraa Governorate.[1]
Free Syrian Army groups supported the Saudi decision to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.[2]
Abu Rateb al-Homsy, leader ofAhrar al-Sham rebel group in Homs is assassinated by unknown gunmen in the village of Farhaniyeh.[3]
Pro GovernmentNational Defence Forces (Syria) captures the desert village of Al-Bayarat in the northwestern countryside of Palmyra fromIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant. There were also clashes between the two parties near the small village of Al-Dawa.[4] On the same day,People's Protection Units foughtIslamic State (IS) militants, defendingAin Issa,Sarrin, andTishrin Dam which was seized from IS in December 2015.[5]
AUnited Nations-led aid convoy enters the besieged town ofMadaya to deliver food and medical aid to 40,000 people. Aid also reaches the villages ofAl-Fu'ah andKafriya, under siege by rebel forces in theIdlib Governorate.[6]
Syrian Armed forces take control of the rebel Bastion ofSalma in the Latakia Governorate[7]
According toPutin, Assad may have an asylum from Russia.[8][9]
Syrian Rebels declare full control ofDudyan,Yani Yaban,Baraghida,al-Yaaroubiyah villages in Northeastern Aleppo, which they took from ISIS[10][11]
TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant abducts over 400 civilians from Al-Baghaliyeh suburb in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, after clashes withSyrian Army forces and their allies that left over 150 combatants killed.[12]
A ballistic missile struck anAl-Nusra Front run police station in Idlib killing 11 Islamist Fighters and 5 civilians.[13]
Syrian Army units and its allies capture the southern rebel bastion ofShaykh Maskin cutting off rebels supplies towards Daara.[14]
71 people were killed in suicide bomb blast in Damascus that was established by terrorist organizationISIS.[15]
The Syrian Army announces the beginning of the 3rd Phase of the Lattakia Offensive with the aim of sealing the Northeastern Corner of the Latakia Governorate and create a frontline at the rebel city ofJisr Al-Shughour.[16]
The Syrian Army has broken theSiege of Nubl and Al-Zahraa in the northernAleppo Governorate, linking with the defenders ofNubl at village of Mu’arrassat al-Khan after a 3-days battle.[17]
A top Saudi defence chief saidSaudi Arabia is ready to send ground troops to Syria if the United States accepts it.[18] The United Arab Emirates announced its intentions to deploy ground forces in Syria according to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, however it added that United States lead was a prerequisite for theUAE.[19]
The Syrian Foreign Minister warned against a foreign ground intervention; saying that any foreign army troops entering Syria without government consent would "return home in wooden coffins", Syria's Foreign MinisterWalid al-Muallem said, in reference to Saudi Arabia no made in the past two days.[20]
Bassam al-Kuwaiti, a political Syrian Opposition figure told Voice of America that Moderate Opposition face a wipe out in Northern Aleppo as the Russian backed Syrian offensive continues.Free Syrian Army forces are already relying on Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra, being merge and disband their last option.[21]
FormerMI6 agent Alastair Crooke, warns about an imminentSyrian Army encircling of Aleppo Jihadists Groups, inside a cauldron at Northern Aleppo.[22]
ThreeU.S. backed Shite militias are now working with Pro-Syrian Army forces fighting other U.S Backed rebels in Southern Aleppo, according to two United States defense officials.[23]
Turkey shells YPG positions in northern Aleppo.[24]
ARussian air strike has destroyed a compound in northernSyria with least seven people dead and more than ten people missing presumed to be dead.[25][26]
Turkish Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoğlu accusesRussia of acting as a "terrorist organization" inSyria, saying "If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organization and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response".[27]
Al-Arabiyah reports of Turkish officials discomfort with the United States regarding its stance with the Kurds.[28]
Adel al-Jubeir, theMinister of Foreign Affairs of theKingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced that aUS-led ground operation inSyria would focus on fighting ISIS, not the Syrian regime.[29]
At least 46 people were killed and several injured in adouble car bombs explosion in the city ofHoms.[30]At least 30 people were killed in several bomb blasts near Damascus.[31] Both incidents were masterminded byISIS.
The Syrian Arab Army and pro-government forces have encircled and overrun the Al-Safira plains between Aleppo andKuweires Military Airbase.[32] 20 villages were seized over the previous 24 hours and 40 kilometers of highway were cleared.[33][34] In addition, 50 ISIS fighters were killed in the past 24 hours.[35]
United States and Russia agree an all party ceasefire that will exclude theISIS and the al-Qaeda-linkedNusra Front begin on 27 February.[36]
Jund al-Aqsa and theFree Syrian Army captured the village of Rasm al-Nafal, to the southwest ofLake Jabbul, severing the Ithriyah-Khanasser Highway again for the second time in 5 months. In a coordinated action, ISIL had also captured multiple villages along the southern shore of Lake Jabbul and to the south of Rasm al-Nafal, sealing off more of the Aleppo road and Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road. Counter-attacks by Syrian Arab Army have failed to immediately dislodge militants from the majority of the captured positions.[37][38]
In the aftermath of the combined rebel and ISIL breakthrough south ofLake Jabbul, the Syrian Army launched a large-scale counter-attack, dislodging ISIL from the town ofKhanasir which they had captured 2 days before.[39]
TheUnited Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that demanded all parties to comply with the terms[40] of a U.S.-Russian deal on a "cessation of hostilities".[41]
Saudi Arabia accuses Russia and Syria of ceasefire violations[42]
Russian and U.S brokered ceasefire takes places despite accusations by parties involved.[43] France wants answers on ceasefire violations.[44]
The Syrian Arab Army has re-opened a supply route to Aleppo city,[45] completing a2016 Khanasir offensive against ISIL.
A car bomb killed at least 18 members of theSyria Revolutionaries Front including its leader Muhammad al-Qairi, also known as Abu Hamza al-Naimi in southern Syria. The attack was likely carried out byISIS sleeper cells.[46]
Two Syrian air strikes hit the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, leaving one person killed; it is unknown if the dead was a civilian or a rebel fighter. Over 118 people have been killed during the 5 day long ceasefire areas including 24 civilians. Meanwhile, in non truce areas the dead ascended to 552, mostly in clashes against the Islamic State.[47]
Syrian rebels reported that they have shot down a warplane near Hama.[48] The Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front seized the bases and weapons of a Western-backed rebel group in overnight fighting in northwestern Syria.[49] Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Muallem said that peace talks will fail if any party tries to discuss the presidency in a transition government, calling the incumbent president, Bashar al-Assad, a “red line”.[50]
Russia started a partial withdrawal of troops from Syria, however air strikes will continue.[51]
Syrian government forces retake Palmyra, with the assistance of Russian airstrikes, after losing it to ISIL in May 2015.[52][53][54]
al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front and other Syrian rebels attack Syrian government forces, and take a strategic hill from them.[55]
Syrian government forces seize the town of al-Qaryatain from the Islamic State.[56][57][58][59]
Turkish authorities imprisons theTurkmen fighter who was filmed killing the pilot in the2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown .[60]
The Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda, the al-Nusra Front, shoot down and capture a pilot of the Syrian Arab Air Force near Aleppo.[61]
“Abu Saqqqar” a Syrian rebel that appeared on 2013 in a video trying to eat the heart of a dead Syrian soldier, is killed in the countryside of Idlib.[62]
At least 210 combatants are killed in Syria Aleppo during a week of fighting; 82 government troops, 94 rebels and 34 Islamic State jihadists according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights[63]
