. ▁ ▁AF P ▁reported ▁on ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁re bel ▁brig ade ▁command ers , ▁at ▁which ▁the ▁overall ▁assess ment ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁was ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁a ▁st alem ate ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁am mun ition , ▁despite ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁assault ▁rif les ▁and ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁ro cket ▁launch ers ▁during ▁the ▁earlier ▁ra id ▁on ▁the ▁Han ano ▁military ▁base . ▁ ▁September ▁re bel ▁off ensive ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁multiple ▁sources , ▁a ▁new ▁opposition ▁off ensive ▁began ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁which ▁promised ▁to ▁be ▁" zero ▁hour " ▁in ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁a ▁" de cis ive ▁battle " ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁city . ▁A ▁re bel ▁commander ▁said ▁they ▁wanted ▁to ▁surprise ▁the ▁Army , ▁which ▁had ▁started ▁to ▁cre ep ▁forward ▁towards ▁the ▁southern ▁neighborhood s . ▁He ▁claimed ▁the ▁Ta wh id ▁brig ade ▁was ▁ent icing ▁the ▁Army ▁forward . ▁The ▁operation ▁included ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁f igh ters ▁of ▁the ▁Ta wh id ▁brig ade , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁brig ades ▁such ▁as ▁al - F ata h ▁and ▁Ah f ad ▁al - F ati he en ▁for ▁the ▁Turk men . ▁We ap ons ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁captured ▁during ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁Han an ou ▁base ▁were ▁used . ▁He ▁denied ▁that ▁the ▁F SA ▁had ▁proc laimed ▁" de cis ive "