Zita al-Gharbiyah

Zita al-Gharbiyah (Arabic: زيتا الغربية, also spelled Zeita) is a village in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located southwest of Homs and immediately north of the border with Lebanon. Nearby localities include Aqrabiyah to the north, Kadesh and Arjoun to the northeast, the district center of al-Qusayr to the east and Jusiyah al-Amar to the southeast. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Zita al-Gharbiyah had a population of 2,922 in the 2004 census.^[1] The population is predominantly Shia Muslim and is immediately surrounded by several smaller Shia Muslim villages. Although the village is in Syria, its inhabitants are Lebanese.^[2]

In the mid-19th-century ancient ruins were found in Zita al-Gharbiyah.^[3] During a military training drill in the vicinity in 2005, stalactite caves were found in the village that resembled the Jeita Grotto in Lebanon. The cave was studied by a team from the al-Baath University of Homs and by the government Department of Tourism and Antiquities. It was determined that cave dates back 60 million years ago.^[4]

During the ongoing Syrian civil war, Zita al-Gharbiyah has been the scene of several clashes between the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) and local fighters backed by Hezbollah.^[5] The village has formed a front with other Shia-majority villages against villages in the vicinity of al-Qusayr that have hosted the FSA. In the summer of 2012, two residents of Zita al-Gharbiyah were kidnapped by the FSA prompting members of the north Lebanon-based Jaafar clan which also inhabits the village to abduct 32 Syrians. Consequently, a reconciliation committee consisting of Shia clans from the Hermel region of Lebanon and pro-FSA villages in the al-Qusayr region was formed, resulting in the return of hostages and a calming of tensions. However, clashes had restarted by early 2013.^[6]

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Homs Governorate

Homs District

Homs Subdistrict Homs Abil Abu Dali Ashrafiyah al-Dar al-Kabirah Fahilah Fairouzeh Hubub al-Rih Halmuz al-Hurriyah Jawalik Jawbar Judaydat al-Assi Judaydat al-Sharqiyah Kafr Abed Kafr Aya Maskanah al-Mubarakiyah al-Mukhtariyah al-Najmah al-Naqirah Qattinah al-Rayyan al-Riyadh Sakrah Teir Maalah Tell Ahmar Tell al-Naqa Tell al-Shur Tell Zubaydah al-Thabitiyah Zaidal Zhuriyah Ayn al-Niser Subdistrict Ayn al-Niser Ayn al-Dananir Ayn Husayn Gharbi Ayn Husayn Shamali Baddu Burzah Humaydiyah al-Jabiriyah al-Mushrifah Talamri Waridah Furqlus Subdistrict Furqlus Fatim al-Arnouk al-Hazzah Hulayah Jabab Hamad Jubb al-Shami al-Nasriyah al-Sabuniyah al-Sayyid Hisyah Subdistrict Hisyah Bureij Dibeh Jandar al-Kashaf al-Ma'murah Shamsin Khirbet Tin Nur Subdistrict Khirbet Tin Nur Aysun Balqasah Bataysah al-Dahiyah al-Umaliyah al-Faysiyah Ghuzaylah Khirbet Ghazi Khirbet al-Hamam Khirbet Hayek Khirbet al-Sawda Khirbet Tin Mahmoud Kunaysah Liftaya Marj Bulad Marj al-Qata Mashahdah (Khirbet Sawda) al-Mazraa Nur Nuwayha Qazhal Qebbi al-Rabwah Ram al-Anz Ram Jabal Sannun Shalluh Tarin Tannunah Umm al-'Adam Umm al-Qasab Umm Haratayn Wujuh al-Hajar al-Zurzuriyah Zayti al-Bahra Zawr Baqraya Mahin Subdistrict Mahin al-Ghunthir Huwwarin Qabu Subdistrict Al-Qabu Autan Fahil al-Qanaqiyah Rabah Sharqliyya al-Shinyah Qaryatayn Subdistrict Al-Qaryatayn Tiyas Riqama Subdistrict Al-Riqama Alyat Awar al-Aziziyah Dardaghan al-Hamrat Jabab al-Zayt al-Madaba al-Manzul al-Nuzhah al-Rawdah Shayrat Sadad Subdistrict Sadad al-Hafar Shin Subdistrict Shin Ayn Al-Fawwar Bahhur al-Diyabiyah Hadiyah Hasur al-Jabbat Jablaya Juwaykat al-Mahfurah Muranah Muta'arid Sufr Suwayri Uyun al-Wadi Zaafarinah Gharbi Taldou Subdistrict Taldou Karad Dayasinah Arqaya Burj Qa'i Ghawr Gharbiyah Hadatha Harqal al-Hashmah Haysah al-Humaymah Jurnaya Kafr Laha Kafr Ram Mahnaya Maryamin Mujaydil Rafin Samalil Sinsil Tell Dahab al-Taybah al-Gharbiyah Zaybaq

Mukharram District

Mukharram Subdistrict Al-Mukharram al-Fawqani Abu Hakfah al-Janubi Abu Hakfah al-Shamali Abu Khashabah Bab al-Hawa al-Batamah Buwaydat Rihaniyah Buwaydat Salamiyah al-Haraki Jubb Abbas al-Junaynat Khilfah al-Mukharram al-Tahtani Nawa al-Sankari Shawkatliyah Tell al-Ghar Tell Shinan Tell al-Ward Umm al-Amad Umm Jabab Umm al-Sarj al-Qibli Umm al-Sarj al-Shamali Umm Tuwaynah al-Uthmaniyah Jubb al-Jarrah Subdistrict Jubb al-Jarrah Abu Qatur Aliyat al-Alyan Duwayr al-Gharbiyah Duwayr al-Sharqiyah Ghuzayliyah Maksar al-Hisan Masaadah Masudiyah Mughayzil Muntar al-Abal Mushayrifah al-Qibliyah Rasm Humaydah Shiha Taladi Tall al-Qata Tarfawi Tawil Umm al-Rif (al-Rish) Umm Tuwaynah al-Shamali Usmud

Qusayr District

Qusayr Subdistrict Al-Qusayr Abu Juri al-Aqrabiyah Arjoun Akkum Baluzah Burhaniyah al-Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah al-Dabaah Dahiyat al-Majd Daminah al-Sharqiyah Daminah al-Gharbiyah Dibbin Diyabiyah al-Fadeliyah al-Ghassaniyah al-Hamam al-Hawik Hawsh Murshid Sama'an Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali al-Houz Husseiniya Jubaniyah Jusiyah al-Amar Kafr Mousa al-Masriyah Mudan al-Nahariyah al-Naim al-Nizariyah al-Qurniyah Rablah al-Sakher al-Sallumiyah Samaqiyat al-Gharbiyah Samaqiyat al-Sharqiyah Saqrajah al-Sawadiyah al-Shayahat al-Shumariyah Shinshar Tell al-Nabi Mando Wadi Hanna Zira'a Zita al-Gharbiyah

Rastan District
Rastan Subdistrict Al-Rastan Abu Hamamah Asiliyah Ballan Dalfin al-Ghasibiyah Gharnatah Izz al-Din Hameis Kafr Nan Kissin al-Manara Murayj al-Durr al-Qunaytrat Sulaym Tasnin al-Waza'iyah Zamaymer Talbiseh Subdistrict Talbiseh Deir Ful al-Farhaniyah al-Ghantu al-Hashimiyah al-Makramiyah al-Qanniyah Saan al-Aswad al-Sabil Tell Jayurin al-Thawrah Umm Sharshuh al-Zaafaraniyah

Tadmur District
Tadmur Subdistrict Tadmur Arak al-Bayda al-Bi'arat Rasm al-Abid Sukhnah Subdistrict Al-Sukhnah Karim al-Kawm al-Kadir al-Taybah al-Tuwaynat

Talkalakh District

Talkalakh Subdistrict Talkalakh Akkari al-Amariyah Aridah Ayn al-Sawda Ayn al-Tineh al-Gharbiyah al-Bahluniyah Baruha Bayt Qarin Burj al-Arab Burj al-Maksur Dabousieh Hajar Abyad Halat Hasrajiyah Jaafariyat Kafrish Khirbet al-Jabab Masyadah Naarah Qanuta Qurayyat Qumayrah al-Shabaq al-Shabruniyah Shalluh Shamsiyah Sindiyana Samikah Tell Hawsh Tell Sarrin al-Zarah Zanbiyah Hadidah Subdistrict Hadidah Ayn al-Tineh al-Sharqiyah Barudiyah Bayun Baznaya Dardariyah Haratayn al-Malikiyah al-Mashrafah al-Sharqiyah Khansaa Khirbet al-Manqalah Lawaybdah Marasiyah Na'isiyah Na'urah Qaz al-Khass Rihaniyah Tell al-Safa Umm al-Dawali Umm Jamah Hawash Subdistrict Al-Hawash Anaz Ain al-Ajouz Ain al-Ghara Ballat Bisas Duwair al-Lin al-Husn Ish al-Shuhah Inata Juwaniyat al-Mazraah Mizyeneh al-Muqaabarat Muqlus Qal al-Saqa al-Shuwayhid Tallah Nasirah Subdistrict Al-Nasirah Amar al-Husn Ain al-Barda Ain al-Raheb Bahzina Baydar Rafiah Daghlah Habnamrah Jankamrah Jiwar al-Afas Kafra Kimah Marmarita Mashta Azar al-Mishtaya Qalatiyah Qurb Ali Tannurin Zweitina