The offensive was launched on 1 October 2016, with the Army taking control of 10 kilometers of farmland around the town of Deir Khabiyeh, east of Khan al-Shih, within 24 hours.

[4] Ten days later, the military seized a former air-defense base west of Deir Khabiyeh, partially surrounding the town on its western and southern side.

[8][9] Between 7 and 9 October, government troops captured the Milano Steel factory near Al-Mokaylebah, as well as the Al-Wadi area one kilometer west of the town, while also advancing in the northwestern outskirts of Khan al-Shih.

[28] The Army then proceeded to take control of the Drosha road, tightening the siege of Khan al-Shih, which resulted in a new round of surrender negotiations.

[34][36] They also took control of the largest rebel weapons factory in the western Ghouta,[37] an animal farm and Khirbet Khan al-Shih near the Air Defense housing.

[6] On 29 November, militants from Zakiyah also handed over control of the town to the Syrian government and set off towards Idlib, while insurgents in three other nearby villages also agreed to withdraw from Western Ghouta.

[citation needed] The final batch of rebels from Khan al-Shih and all of the nearby villages was evacuated between 30 November and 1 December,[47][48][49] leaving the area firmly under government control.