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Battle of Tell Abyad (2016)

Coordinates: 36°41′50″N 38°57′18″E / 36.6973°N 38.9551°E / 36.6973; 38.9551
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Battle of Tell Abyad
Part of the Syrian Civil War and
the American-led intervention in Syria

Situation in Northern Syria (June 2015)
Date27 February – 1 March 2016
(4 days)
Location
Tell Abyad, north of Al-Raqqah Governorate, Syria
Result

SDF victory

  • SDF repels the assault
Belligerents

Syrian Democratic Forces

Airstrikes:
CJTF–OIR		 Islamic State Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Commanders and leaders
Khaled Daham al Bashir †[1]
(Dier Ezzor tribal leader)
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Laila Mustafa
(Head of City Council)[2]		 Unknown
Units involved

Syrian Democratic Forces

Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Asayish & Kurdish militia[5]

Military of ISIL

Strength
Unknown 400+[8]
Casualties and losses

47+ killed[9] (47 YPG/YPJ killed)[10]

300 killed (ISIL claim)		 120–291 killed[9][11][12][13]
15–23 civilians killed[9][10]

The Battle of Tel Abyad was a raid by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on the YPG-held town of Tell Abyad at the end of February 2016, during the Syrian Civil War.

Background

In July 2015, Tel Abyad, previously held by IS, was captured by YPG militias linking together the Kurdish Kobanî and Jazira Canton. Since then the majority-Arab town has been absorbed into the Kobane Canton.

Battle

According to SOHR, a month before the battle's beginning a large number of ISIL sleeper agents disguised as civilians and SDF or YPG fighters entered Tell Abyad. Most of them were so-called "Caliphate Cubs" or ISIL units of child soldiers.[6][7]

On February 27, 2016, at around 23:00 local time (9 pm GMT),[4] over a hundred Islamic State militants attacked the YPG controlled town of Tell Abyad (Gire Spi in Kurdish), a key crossing along the Syrian-Turkish border, just hours after a general ceasefire in Syria took effect. According to YPG military spokesperson Redur Xelil, the attack was not to re-take Tal Abyad but to cut the Kurdish Cantons in half and do as much damage possible, reminiscent to the Kobanî massacre.[12]

The battle began when ISIL fighters infiltrated the suburbs of Tel Abyad, storming dozens of homes in the villages of Hamam Turkman and Ain al-Arous, and executing 23 civilians. A YPG spokesman claimed that some of the ISIL attackers had crossed from Turkey to attack the town. Turkey quickly denied this claim. Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko the head of Russia’s reconciliation monitoring center in Latakia, said that the assault on Tal Abyad involved up to 100 armed militants with heavy artillery support from Turkish territory.[14] Other YPG sources claimed that Turkey had supplied ISIL fighters with both modern western equipment and information.[8]

The two pronged offensive was launched against the Kurdish positions in the East of the city, with ISIS using car bombs to attack checkpoints and mortar fire originating in Al-Raqqah. The SDF headquarters in Tel Abyad was targeted and 5 other villages; Sharghrat, Kantari, Nastleh, Ghuwera and Qantrah were attacked.[2][15] As ISIL overran large parts of the city, they also encircled a YPG headquarters near the Syrian-Turkish borders, where they captured Khaled Daham al Bashir. Khaled, who had fought ISIL with the Free Syrian Army in Deir ez-Zor before, was the cousin of Raghib al Bashir, head of al-Baqara tribe in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. After his capture, he and three other SDF fighters were executed, with images of his beheading being posted by ISIL on his personal Facebook account.[1]

During the battle ISIS fighters captured roughly 70% of the town (according to Turkish military officials) as well as the National Hospital and administrative buildings of Tal Abyad.[4] Kurdish officials stated they were successful in repelling the attack and holding the town with the support of ten U.S Combined Joint Task Force airstrikes, and heavy reinforcements from mostly local Arab fighters from Jaysh al-Thuwar, also part of the "Self-Defense Forces".

The offensive ended on March 1, when the attack was repelled. According to the YPG, the bodies of 140 ISIS fighters were left behind.[10] This toll was later raised to 291.[12] The SDF gave their death toll as 43, mostly YPG fighters, and 23 civilians killed.[10] The SOHR gave a differing death toll, in which 140 ISIS fighters died attacking the town along with 47 YPG and 15 civilians.[9]

Aftermath

Mehmet Yuksel, a representative of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party to the United States argued that Ankara hired the attackers from Syrian refugee camps in Turkey.[14]

In response to the attack, the SDF launched "Revenge of Êlîn and Cûdî" (named after two Kurdish children in the Tel Abyad attack) on March 3, the fourth major offensive against ISIL forces to the south[16] that successfully reclaimed, with little resistance, open ISIL territory, hamlets and villages in southeastern Tell Abyad District, northern Deir ez-Zor District and western Al-Hasakah District. The two-pronged operation concluded sometime after SDF forces converged at Muqman in Deir ez-Zor District in March 8, moving the Kurdish frontline closer towards the ISIL stronghold of Al-Raqqah and the besieged city of Deir ez-Zor.

References

  1. ^ a b "The death of a Deir Ezzor tribal leader in ISIS attack on Tel Abyad town yesterday". en.deirezzor24.net. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  2. ^ a b "Life returns to Syria's Tel Abyad after western-backed forces repel ISIS offensive - ARA News". ARA News. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  3. ^ a b KurdishQuestion.com. "YPG: Islamic State Attacked Gire Spi / Tel Abyad From Turkey And Raqqa". www.kurdishquestion.com. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  4. ^ a b c "Fierce fighting rages as IS attacks Kurds near Turkish border". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  5. ^ "More than 70 "Islamic state" members killed during YPG's regaining control of Tal Abyad town". SOHR. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  6. ^ a b c "By "Caliphate Cubs and the costume of Self-Defense", "Islamic State" carry out Tal Abyad military operations". SOHR. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  7. ^ a b "ROJAVA UPDATE 190: AS "CEASEFIRE" TAKES EFFECT ACROSS SYRIA, ISLAMIC STATE LAUNCH MASSIVE ATTACK AGAINST THE KURDS". Peter Clifford Online. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
  8. ^ a b "Sanitäter bei der YPG in Syrien. Ein Deutscher im Kampf gegen den IS". Tagesschau (in German). Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  9. ^ a b c d "Death Toll from IS Offensive in Northern Syria Rises to 202, SOHR Says". Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  10. ^ a b c d "43 Kurdish YPG fighters killed in Syria in battle with Islamic State". Reuters. 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  11. ^ "More than 120 "Islamic State" members killed during their failed attack on Tal Abyad area in the countryside of Al-Raqqah". SOHR. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
  12. ^ a b c "'Turkey tries to expel Kurds from Tel Abyad crossing to help ISIS export its oil to black market': Kurdish official". ARA News. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ a b Sputnik. "Fighters Behind Attack on Tal Abyad Hired by Turkey From Refugee Camps". sputniknews.com. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  15. ^ "ISIS takes advantage of Syria ceasefire, attacks Kurds north Raqqa - ARA News". ARA News. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  16. ^ [2]

36°41′50″N 38°57′18″E / 36.6973°N 38.9551°E / 36.6973; 38.9551

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