Assault on Maaloula

On September 4th 2013, Al-Nusra affiliated militants assaulted the ancient Christian mountain town of Maaloula, located around 60 kilometers north-east of Damascus.

According to loyalist sources, the attack started with a Jordanian suicide bomber driving a reinforced Mercedes truck full of explosives towards an army checkpoint at the northern entrance of the city. The huge explosion killed 13 soldiers. The Jordanian was part of a "Brigade of the Immigrants" group consisting mostly of Chechen fighters and coming from the Deir Al-Zour area to Maaloula (through the desert), entering the town after chaos was created.

The source reports that after "the usual Chechen-style slaughter-orgy" by the group and following SAA reinforcements, the army was mostly in control again by the evening of Thursday, September 5th. A team of Russia Today visiting the town two days later, though, came into crossfire of ongoing fights between the Army and Islamists:

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At one point likely in October security was finally restored but it is unclear how many residents came back to town. While a major SAA operation up in the mountains was under way, some militants were able to break the alleged siege there and return to Maaloula in late November, rolling tires filled with explosives from the cliffs into city center and again taking hostages.