Siege of Talkalakh (May 2011)

On 14 May 2011, during the Syrian revolution, the Syrian military began an operation in the Syrian town of Talkalakh. The government said that it was targeting terrorist groups, while the Syrian opposition described it as a crackdown against pro-democracy protesters.^[1]

Siege of Talkalakh
Part of the Syrian revolution and the Syrian civil war
Location	Talkalakh, Syria
Target	Opposition protestors
Date	14–19 May 2011 (5 days)
Executed by	Syrian Army 7,000 – 8,000 troops 74 tanks and APCs[1]
Outcome	Protests suppressed
Casualties	27[2] – 45[3] killed 3,500 refugees[1]

The operation

On 15 May, the Syrian military entered the town of Talkalakh, on the border with Lebanon. Reports subsequently emerged that the military was massacring members of the Syrian opposition. The reports were mostly from civilians fleeing over the Kabir river into Lebanon to escape the violence.^[4][5][6]

By 19 May, the military concluded its operation and began withdrawing from Talkalakh.^[7]

See also

• Asia portal