Battle of Al-Kafr

On 22 July 1925, three days after the capture of Salkhad, France attempted to regain lost ground by launching a column toward Al-Kafr, a strategic point of Jabal al-Druze. This punitive expedition, composed of approximately 360 men, fell into a carefully prepared ambush by the Druze troops of Sultan al-Atrash. The near-complete annihilation of the French column shocked command in Damascus and heralded an insurrection far more powerful than anticipated.

After the rout at Salkhad, High Commissioner Sarrail ordered a rapid riposte. Al-Kafr, situated nearby, was chosen as a target to demonstrate the mandate's reaction capacity. But Druze chiefs, aware of enemy movements thanks to an excellent scout network, laid a trap for the French column. It is one of the most dramatic examples of colonial underestimation in the asymmetric war waged by Syrian nationalists.

French troops advanced in a close column without thorough reconnaissance of the terrain. The Druze, concealed on heights overlooking the road, opened fire in waves, cutting off all retreat. Tirailleurs attempted to form a defensive square but were outflanked. French light artillery was neutralised within the first minutes. Captain Ferrié organised an attempt to break through, but most men were cut down or captured. Defeat was total before the end of the day.

The destruction of the Al-Kafr column triggered a shock wave throughout the Levant. The myth of French invincibility collapsed in the Druze mountains. The revolt spread to Damascus and the regions of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs in the following weeks. General Sarrail was criticised in Paris, and reinforcements were dispatched from North Africa. This battle inaugurated a long and bloody war against insurgent Syrian populations, marked by massive reprisals and urban combat.