Battle of Markada

Battle of Markada
Part of inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
Date21–31 March 2014
(1 week and 3 days)
LocationMarkada, Syria
Result

ISIL victory

  • ISIL captures Markada on 29 March[1]
Belligerents
al Nusra Front Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Katiba al-Bittar al-Libi
Commanders and leaders
Abu Mohammad al-Julani
(Leader of the Al-Nusra Front)		 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
(Leader of ISIL)
Omar al-Farouk al-Turki †
(Top provincial ISIL commander)[1]
Casualties and losses
120 killed[2]

The Battle of Markada was a military confrontation between two jihadist groups, al Qaeda's al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), over the town of Markada in the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in March 2014 during the Syrian civil war.[2] The strategic importance of the town to the ISIL lay in its position on the group's weapons supply route from Iraq, the road linking Al-Hasakah with Deir ez-Zor and a hill that dominates the surrounding area.[3] On the ISIL side there were many Sunni Iranians, including Kurds, who played an important role in the battle.[4]

Battle

The battle started on 21 March 2014,[2] with fighting near Markada's grain silos that left 27 Nusra fighters dead and others missing.[5]

On the morning of 27 March, the ISIS attacked the town, which was being held by the Al-Nusra Front. The ISIS managed to force Nusra to withdraw to the town's hospital and the mountain overlooking Markada.[6]

Before dawn on 29 March, clashes erupted in the town[7] as the ISIS attacked the hospital and Nusra positions in the mountain.[6] After heavy fighting that left 43 Nusra and 13 ISIS fighters dead,[5] the ISIS took full control of the town,[1] with Nusra forces retreating towards the town of al-Sour in the eastern rural area of Deir ez-Zor province. Many Nusra fighters were also captured.[8] Among those killed was also the top provincial ISIS commander,[1] Omar al-Farouk al-Turki.[6]

On 31 March, Nusra launched a counter-attack in an attempt to recapture the town.[5] By this time, the number of those killed since the start of the fighting had risen to 120.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "ISIS seizes town from Nusra in Hassakeh province". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Syrian army retakes key post in regime bastion Latakia". Your Middle East. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "At least 52 dead fighters from the front and the victory of the Islamic State". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  4. ↑ A history of support for Kurdish extremists comes back to haunt Tehran
  5. 1 2 3 "Syria killed 30 Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant Brive-Hasakah". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "Organization "Daash" controlled Mrkdh, and mourns his military commander in the Al-Hasakah". كلنا شركاء في الوطن. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "A bomb explosion in Deir al-Zour and clashes in Al-Hasakah". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "ISIS kills 35 fighters from Jabhat Al-Nusra and Islamic battalions". Retrieved 25 October 2014.

Coordinates: 35°44′00″N 40°46′00″E / 35.7333°N 40.7667°E / 35.7333; 40.7667

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