 On 29 May, the Syrian Army launched an assault on the city which lasted through most of the first week of June.By 2 June local activists claimed at least 52 civilians were killed, while the government stated four of its soldiers were killed in the offensive.By August 2011, ar-Rastan was mostly in the hands of the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) which was made up of defectors from the Syrian Army and civilian volunteers.