December 2011 Jabal al-Zawiya massacres

December 2011 Jabal al-Zawiya massacres
Part of the Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011–March 2012)
Date 19–20 December 2011[1] Location Jabal al-Zawiya, Syria 35°55′31″N 36°34′10″E / 35.9252006°N 36.5693665°E / 35.9252006; 36.5693665 Result Syrian Army victory[1]
Belligerents
Free Syrian Army	Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Army[1]
Units involved
Unknown	15th Division 35th Army Regiment
Strength
~300	~500
Casualties and losses
235+ killed	60-100 killed
120 civilians killed
class=notpageimage| Location within Syria

The Jabal al-Zawiya massacres took place on 19–20 December 2011, in the Idlib province of Syria during the 2011-2012 Idlib Governorate clashes between the Syrian Army and opposition forces, within the larger scope of the 2011-2012 Syrian uprising. Human rights and opposition activists said that some 200 people were killed by Syrian security forces in the hills and villages of the north-western province of Idlib on 19 and 20 December 2011.^[1][2] The Syrian state news agency claimed that 1 terrorist was killed and several more wounded.^[1]

The event occurred following a large scale defection of hundreds of Syrian soldiers on 19 December, while some 70 of them were gunned down by loyalists. On 20 December, government forces backed by tanks reportedly launched an operation to hunt down the defectors who managed to escape.^[1]