Battle of Markada

The Battle of Markada (also spelled "Markadah" or "Markadahin")[4] 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.[3] 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.[5] On the ISIL side there were many Sunni Iranians, including Kurds, who played an important role in the battle.[6]

Battle of Markada
Part of inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
Date 21–31 March 2014 (1 week and 3 days) Location Markada, Syria Result ISIL victory ISIL captures Markada on 29 March[1]
Belligerents
al Nusra Front	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Barakah Province[2] 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[3]

Battle

The battle started on 21 March 2014,[3] with fighting near Markada's grain silos that left 27 al-Nusra Front fighters dead and others missing.[7]

On the morning of 27 March, ISIL attacked the town, which was being held by the al-Nusra Front. ISIL managed to force al-Nusra to withdraw to the town's hospital and the mountain overlooking Markada.[8]

Before dawn on 29 March, clashes erupted in the town[9] as ISIL attacked the hospital and al-Nusra positions in the mountain.[8] After heavy fighting that left 43 al-Nusra and 13 ISIL fighters dead,[7] ISIL took full control of the town[1] as al-Nusra forces retreated towards the town of al-Sour in the eastern rural area of Deir ez-Zor province. Many al-Nusra fighters were also captured.[10] Among those killed was also the top provincial ISIL commander,[1] Omar al-Farouk al-Turki.[8]

On 31 March, al-Nusra launched a counterattack in an attempt to recapture the town.[7] By this time, the number of those killed since the start of the fighting had risen to 120.[3]

References

1. "ISIS seizes town from Nusra in Hassakeh province". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
2. Nance (2016), pp. 54–55.
3. "Syrian army retakes key post in regime bastion Latakia". Your Middle East. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
4. Nance (2016), p. 55.
5. "At least 52 dead fighters from the front and the victory of the Islamic State". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
6. A history of support for Kurdish extremists comes back to haunt Tehran
7. "Syria killed 30 Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant Brive-Hasakah". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
8. "Organization "Daash" controlled Mrkdh, and mourns his military commander in the Al-Hasakah". كلنا شركاء في الوطن. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
9. "A bomb explosion in Deir al-Zour and clashes in Al-Hasakah". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
10. "ISIS kills 35 fighters from Jabhat Al-Nusra and Islamic battalions". Retrieved 25 October 2014.

Bibliography

• Nance, Malcolm W. (2016). Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe. New York City: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1510711846.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)