2013 Daraa offensive

The 2013 Daraa offensive was a campaign during the Syrian Civil War launched by the FSA in the Daraa Governorate to capture the strategic border area. The offensive began in early March 2013. During the campaign, rebel forces captured several bases and towns. The offensive was eventually halted following an Army counter-offensive in mid-April, which resulted in the recapture of a few towns and villages. After that, the rebels continued their advance by launching a counter-offensive of their own.

In early 2013, rebels in southern Syria started receiving an influx of foreign-funded weapons over the border from Jordan. This gave them a new momentum, with the rebels preparing an offensive to capture the strategically important region along the border with Jordan that would give them a critical gateway to attempt an attack on the capital, Damascus.

On 3 March, rebels seized an artillery battalion in Jalma village near the Israeli Armistice line. Eight rebels were killed in the fighting, and SOHR stated that the rebels summarily executed the battalion commander.

On 23 March, several rebel groups captured the 38th division air defense base of the Syrian Army in near a strategic highway linking Damascus to Jordan, and killed the base commander, General Mahmoud Darwish.

On the next day, rebels captured a 25 km strip of land near the Jordanian border, which included the towns of Muzrib, Abdin, and the al-Rai military checkpoint.

On 29 March, rebels seized control of the strategic town of Da'el, located 10 miles from the Jordanian border, after days of fierce fighting which left 38 people dead, including 16 rebels.

On 3 April, rebels captured the air defense base of the 49th battalion of the Syrian Army in the town of Alma in the northern outskirts of Daraa.

On 5 April, rebels captured an Army garrison defending the main border crossing into Jordan, after a week-long siege in which dozens were reportedly killed.