Background
After successes of the Syrian Army in capturing Khan al-Shih and Wadi Barada valley pockets, and reconciliation agreements in Madaya andThe offensive
Capture of Tal Bardiyah
On 28 November, government forces claimed to have captured the eastern side of the strategic Bardiyah mountain chain in the besieged Beit Jinn pocket, southwest of Damascus and near the Golan Heights, which is controlled by rebel fighters. Subsequently, there were competing claims between pro-government and pro-opposition sources on whether the rebels recaptured most of the positions they had lost or not. The mountain was fully captured by the Army two days later. Helicopter strikes were halted in the area until the end of the offensive.Battle for the hills
In the morning of 11 December, at 9:30 am, the Syrian army began operations in Western Ghouta to ensure fire control over Beit Jinn. Members of the 42nd Armoured Brigade of the 4th Armoured Division, the Syrian Arab Army, launched fierce artillery attacks on rebel positions. Heavy fighting began in Maghar Al-Mir, triggering attacks from several shots of shelling with IRAM missiles. During the fighting, the military captured two hills near Tal Bardiyah. The next day, the Syrian army begun the process of isolating rebel-held Maghar Al-Mir and managed to capture two more hilltops. On 14 December, led by the 42nd Armoured Brigade, the Syrian Arab Army launched a major offensive against rebels on the tallest hilltop in the area, Tal Al-Bayda. They managed to successfully capture the area, after rebels pulled back to the west. The Syrian Army's next goal was to divide the rebel pocket in half. The following day, the Syrian Army continued its main offensive, managing to impose total control over Tal al-Ahmar, after losing the hilltop two days earlier during a rebel counter-attack. By taking over positions around Tal al-Ahmara, the Syrian Army asserted fire-control over the roadway that connects the towns of Beit Saber and Maghar al-Mir. By 16 December, the pocket was nearly cut in half after more government advances through the hills. As of 17 December, the Army was within 500 meters of Maghar al-Mir on its eastern side. Between 18 and 19 December, after capturing parts of a new hill, the rebel pocket was divided by artillery fire. By 21 December, Beit Jinn was completely isolated.Syrian regime closes in on village near Israeli GolanRebel surrender
On 22 December, the Army captured a farm area south of Mazaraat Beit Jinn. Two days later, pro-government forces started the third phase of their offensive. SAA,References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beit Jinn offensive Conflicts in 2017 Conflicts in 2018 Damascus in the Syrian civil war Battles of the Syrian civil war in 2017 Battles of the Syrian civil war in 2018 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Tahrir al-Sham Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Free Syrian Army December 2017 in Syria