Members of The Popular Front (Jabhat Ash Sha'abiya)
Members of the relatively new JS/PF group, formed in mid-2012 to overthrow the Shurjahi government and replace it with a leftist one, have conducted their largest attack yet. They took over the country's largest Dam outside the capital Muawiyah, the attack started around 10 in the morning with several SUVs showing up to the dam and armed men killing security staff and they were unable to sound any alarms due to how quickly and unexpectedly the attack happened, and they took the dam workers hostage, by 11:30 one worker was able to contact help, then by noon the group posted a video online describing their demands and declaring who they are (transcript below). Though the government was aware by then, they were still planning how to respond to the attack, by 1300 electricity was cut off from the dam by the group as they forced dam workers to shut off the power. By 1400 Shurjahi forces set up positions to attempt to retake the dam however Popular Front fighters are deeply embedded in the dam and surrounding areas and are holding hundreds of hostages.
The group hung two large plain red flags and lowered the Shurjahi flag on the large flag pole near the dam and replaced it with theirs, they also blocked off the entrances with large trucks with bombs in the hull. As Shurjahi forces arrived they experienced short bursts of sniper fire and fire from a hill and an lmg, as the fire hit the ground around them and their vehicles they fired back from mounted guns and one fired RPG back at the position as the reflection of the sun could by seen from the snipers scope however the sniper survived and was able to return fire along with over gunmen firing from the dam itself, the Shurjahi RPG man took cover behind a vehicle other Shurjahi forces got out of the trucks and took cover behind rocks and fired back in busts of fire, all while an PF lmg gunner returned fire back in full auto and the rounds could be seen through the air appearing as red streaks and this back and fourth confrontation continued for several hours into the night with no causalities or injuries yet.
Shurjahi forces are still stuck in an engagement with them and fear they may take a nearby farming village of Tal Al Nahr.
The Foreign Ministry of Shurjah put out a statement regarding this saying the situation is under control and not a concern of the international community and all and any methods will be considered in this counter-terror operation.