2016 Dabiq offensive

2016 Dabiq offensive
Part of Operation Euphrates Shield and the Syrian Civil War

Map of the wider Turkish-led operations in northern Aleppo and the wider campaigns in Aleppo
  Syrian Armed Forces & allied groups
  Syrian Democratic Forces
  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
  FSA groups and Turkish troops in Northern Syria
Date28 September – 16 October 2016
(2 weeks and 4 days)
Location
Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Status

SNA-Turkish victory[1]

Belligerents

 Turkey
Syrian opposition Syrian rebels
Support:

 Islamic State
Support:

Commanders and leaders
Turkey Lt. Gen. Zekai Aksakallı[2]
(Operations chief commander)
Turkey Lt. Gen. İsmail Metin Temel[3][4]
(Second Army commander)
Syrian opposition Col. Ahmed Othman[5]
(Sultan Murad Division commander)
Syrian opposition Fehim İsa[6]
(Sultan Murad Division commander)
Syrian opposition Ali Şeyh Salih[7] (DOW)[8]
(Sultan Murad Division field commander)
Syrian opposition Muhammad al-Gabi[9]
(Liberation Army commander)
Syrian opposition Mohammad Abu Ibrahim[10]
Syrian opposition Mustafa Sejari[10]
(Al-Moutasem Brigade political leader)
Mahmoud Abu Hamza[11] (Descendants of Saladin Brigade commander)
Capt. Abdel Salam Abdel Razaq[11] (Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement commander)
Capt. Mohammed Abu Mustafa[9]
(Sham Legion commander)
Abu Jafer[12] (Brigade of Conquest commander)		 Unknown
Units involved

Turkey Turkish Armed Forces

Syrian opposition Hawar Kilis Operations Room

Syrian opposition Free Idlib Army[20]

Syrian opposition Liberation Army[21]
Brigade of Conquest[22]

Other Syrian rebels
Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement[23]

Ahrar al-Sham[23][24]		 Unknown
Strength
Syrian opposition 2,000 SNA[25]
Turkey 500 soldiers[26]
United States 40 military advisors[26]		 800+ militants[27][28]
Casualties and losses
89+ SNA and 1 Turkish soldier killed[29][30] 183–210+ killed[30][31][32][33][34][35]

The 2016 Dabiq offensive was a military offensive and part of the third phase of Operation Euphrates Shield launched by the Turkish Armed Forces and factions from the Free Syrian Army (FSA, a Syrian rebel group) and allied groups, with the goal of capturing the town of Dabiq, north of Aleppo from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[36][27] It began in September and resulted in the capture of Dabiq by Turkish/FSA-allied forces on 16 October.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference secure was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Turkish Special Forces: From stopping a coup to the frontline of the ISIL fight Hürriyet Daily News, 24 August 2016.
  3. ^ Nick Tattersall; Humeyra Pamuk (26 August 2016). "Turkey signals no quick end to Syria incursion as truck bomb kills police". Reuters.
  4. ^ "Korgeneral İsmail Metin Temel Cerablus'ta". Hürriyet Daily News. 26 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Turkish Forces and Rebels Storm Into Syria, Taking IS Stronghold of Jarablus". VOA. 24 August 2016.
  6. ^ "SULTAN MURAT TÜMENİ KOMUTANI FEHİM İSA TATHAMUS TÜRKMEN KÖYÜNÜN DEAŞ TERÖR ÖRGÜTÜNDEN TEMİZLENDİĞİNİ AÇIKLADI". 24 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Sultan Murat Tugayları: Önce Çobanbey ardından Menbiç'e ilerleyeceğiz". 25 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  8. ^ "TÜRKMEN KOMUTANIMIZ ALİ SALİH ŞEHİT DÜŞTÜ". 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  9. ^ a b "ÖSO komutanlarından Türkiye'ye teşekkür". 25 August 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Albin Szakola (25 August 2016). "Turkey-backed rebels aim for key ISIS-held town". NOW. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  11. ^ a b c "Turkish-backed FSA rebels set their sights on last IS Aleppo stronghold after border victory". Syria:direct. 5 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  12. ^ "41K Turkish soldiers ready to support operation Al Bab". Yeni Şafak. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Çobanbey'in ardından muhaliflerin yeni hedefi Cerablus". AJANS HABER. 9 April 2016.
  14. ^ "LIVE: Turkish military, coalition forces launch 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Jarablus". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  15. ^ Serhat Erkmen (1 September 2016). "Analiz: Fırat Kalkanı'nda bir haftalık bilanço". DW.
  16. ^ "Syria à la Carte: Turkish Invasion Highlights Rapidly Shifting Alliances-Maximilian Popp and Christoph Reuter". JK Alternative Viewpoint. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  17. ^ "تعزية الفصائل العسكرية باستشهاد القائد العسكري للقوة المركزية في الفرقة13". Fastaqim Union on Twitter. 18 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Turkish-led forces capture first village in northern Syria". al-Masdar News. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  19. ^ "بيان تشكيل المجلس العسكري لمدينة أخترين و ريفها". YouTube. 3 October 2016.
  20. ^ "New rebel group formed in Idlib". AMN. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  21. ^ Caleb Weiss (29 August 2016). "Two US-backed groups clash in northern Syria". The Long War Journal.
  22. ^ Christoph Ehrhardt (26 August 2016). "Krieg in Syrien - Die Trennlinien verschwimmen". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
  23. ^ a b Susan Fraser; Philip Issa (24 August 2016). "U.S. warplanes support Turkish tanks attacking Islamic State forces in Syria". Military Times.
  24. ^ "fouad sarkis on Twitter". Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  25. ^ "Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces take Dabiq from IS". ABC News. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  26. ^ a b "With the launch of the third phase of Euphrates Shield, American advisors making their ranks". Al-Watan. 18 September 2016.
  27. ^ a b "Isis is preparing for an 'apocalyptic' battle to defend the village at the heart of its propaganda". Independent.co.uk. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  28. ^ More than 1000 fighters of Jaysh al-Osra reach Dabiq; sheikhs at mosques declare “Dabiq epic is approaching”
  29. ^ 21 killed (3 Oct.),[1] 1 killed (4 Oct.),[2] Archived 2016-10-07 at the Wayback Machine 2 killed (5 Oct.),[3] 13 killed (7 Oct.),[4] 2 killed (8 Oct.),[5] 30 killed (9–11 Oct.),[6] 2 killed (13 Oct.),[7] 9 killed (15 Oct.),[8] 9 killed (16 Oct.),[9] total of 89 reported killed
  30. ^ a b "Turkish troops clash with Islamic State in Syria". Reuters. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  31. ^ 35 militants killed during clashes around Ikhtren area
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference 38killed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference syriahr52134 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ "Turkish army says Islamic State putting up 'stiff resistance' in Syria - World - Reuters". Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  35. ^ Cite error: The named reference Day52 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  36. ^ Turkish-backed rebels 3km from strategic Dabiq, northern Syria