Al-Baghuz Fawqani Explained

Official Name:Al-Baghuz Fawqani
Native Name:ٱلْبَاغُوز فَوْقَانِي
Native Name Lang:ar
Settlement Type:Town
Parts Type:Control
Parts Style:para
P1: Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
Pushpin Map:Syria
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Syria
Coordinates:34.4586°N 40.9506°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Deir ez-Zor
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Abu Kamal
Subdivision Type3:Subdistrict
Subdivision Name3:al-Susah
Population Total:10,689
Population As Of:2004
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3
Blank Name Sec1:City Qrya Pcode
Blank Info Sec1:C5184

Al-Baghuz Fawqani (Arabic: ٱلْبَاغُوز فَوْقَانِي|al-Bāġūz Fawqānī) is a town in Syria, located in Abu Kamal District, Deir ez-Zor. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Al-Baghuz Fawqani had a population of 10,649 in the 2004 census.[1]

Syrian Civil War

During the course of the Syrian Civil War, the Baghuz area (including the nearby town Baghuz at-Tahtani) came under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadist organization.[2] [3] The area was initially administered by ISIL's Euphrates Province, but later transferred to al-Barakah district.[4]

During a multi-year campaign in eastern Syria, the town was captured from ISIL by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 23 January 2019,[5] leaving ISIL completely besieged in the town of Al-Marashidah, to the north.[6] [7] However, on the next day, ISIL launched a series of suicide attacks to break the siege, allowing them to recapture parts of the town (mostly the western parts of the town), with the town's outskirts being targeted by air raids of the international coalition.[8] On 7 February 2019, the SDF captured Al-Marashidah and other nearby areas from ISIL, completely besieging ISIL in the town of Al-Baghuz Fawqani, the final settlement under its control in the Levant.[9] [10]

Battle of Baghuz Fawqani

See main article: Battle of Baghuz Fawqani and 2019 U.S. airstrike in Baghuz. On 9 February 2019, the Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by the CJTF-OIR Coalition, launched a final assault to take Baghuz Fawqani and wipe out the last bastion of physical territory held by the Islamic State,[11] opening the attack with a massive bombardment on the Huwayjat Khanafirah neighborhood, with violent clashes continuing throughout the night and into the morning hours.[12] [13] The Coalition said it struck a mosque in Baghuz Fawqani on 11 February, as it was being used as a command and control center by the Islamic State.[14]

On 28 February, SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin announced discovery of a mass grave found 10 days ago in the town. It contained dozens of bodies, including of men and women while heads were also found in the grave. The SDF was trying to confirm whether they were Yazidis and Islamic State members. A video of Furat FM showed a mass-grave. The outlet's executive said that most of the bodies were apparently shot in the head. SDF spokeswoman Lilwa Abdulla confirmed they found large number of Yazidi bodies though there was no specific number.[15] [16] [17] [18] However, locals said the corpses were victims of airstrikes.[19]

The assault to take the town resumed on 1 March, with the remaining ISIL militants and their families besieged and encamped at a tent city along the river.[20] On 18 March, the United States launched an airstrike which killed 80 people, most of them civilians according to the New York Times.[21] On 19 March, SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali announced that the SDF had control of all of Al-Baghuz Fawqani, with the exception for a few pockets along the shores of the Euphrates river, where intermittent clashes were still ongoing with resisting jihadists.[22]

On Saturday, 23 March 2019, SDF forces, backed by the US, retook all of Al-Baghuz Fawqani, ending ISIL's territorial rule over Syria and depriving the group of its final "capital," as well as removing almost all of the territory under their control.[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: General Census of Population 2004.. 2017-12-09.
  2. News: ISIS repels US-backed forces from east Syria holdout . 28 October 2018 . . AFP . Agence France-Presse . 3 August 2019.
  3. News: The experienced special forces arrive in the organization's enclave and the Coalition and SDF continue their preparations for starting a violent military operation on the eastern banks of the Euphrates . 28 October 2018 . . 3 August 2019.
  4. News: Explainer: IS redraws boundaries of its local Syrian 'branches' . . . 11 October 2018 . 16 November 2018 .
  5. News: SDF and the Coalition control the last town of ISIS in Syria and continue to advance to end it completely east of Euphrates after 18 weeks of continuous military operations . 23 January 2019 . 3 August 2019 . The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
  6. News: Down to Its Last 2 Villages in Syria, ISIS Still Fights Back . . January 24, 2019 . January 24, 2019 . Rukmini . Callimachi . Rukmini Callimachi . 4 .
  7. News: ISIL's reign over eastern Euphrates nearing its end – map . Leith . Aboufadel . . 24 January 2019 . 25 January 2019 . 11 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111004303/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isils-reign-over-eastern-euphrates-nearing-its-end-map/ . dead .
  8. Web site: The International Alliance aircrafts [sic] targets the outskirts of the town of Al-Bagouz in the eastern countryside of Deir Al-Azur . syria.liveuamap.com . 1 February 2019 . 1 February 2019.
  9. News: Coalition, partners continue squeezing IS militants in Iraq, Syria -- statement . 7 February 2019 . 3 August 2019 . Kuwait News Agency.
  10. News: ISIS squeezed into last areas as SDF troops capture 2 villages east of the Euphrates (MAP) . Leith . Aboufadel . . 7 February 2019 . 15 February 2019 . 19 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201119051754/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-squeezed-into-last-areas-as-sdf-troops-capture-2-villages-east-of-the-euphrates-mapto/ . dead .
  11. News: US-backed Fighters Launch Final Push to Defeat IS in Syria . Rikar . Hussein . . 9 February 2019 . 15 February 2019.
  12. 1094619156148879360 . Map of the front of Bayt 'Uqaydat and the battle between #SDF and #IS in eastern #DayrAzZawr governorate, Baghuz pocket. 10.02.2019 #Syria #JazirahStorm #Baghuz . 10 February 2019 . 27 October 2019 . Gargaristan . Gargari.
  13. News: 'Heavy clashes' in Syria as SDF launches final push against ISIL . 10 February 2019 . 27 October 2019 . . Al Jazeera Media Network.
  14. News: US strikes ISIS-held mosque as Syria battle intensifies . Bassem . Mroue . 12 February 2019 . 27 October 2019 . . Sightline Media Group.
  15. News: Severed heads found in mass grave near Syria IS pocket . 4 March 2019 . 28 February 2019 . Agence France-Presse . Agence France-Presse . . Yahoo.
  16. News: Mass grave with dozens of decapitated bodies found in last ISIS enclave: 'They were slaughtered' . Sang . Lucia I. Suarez . 28 February 2019 . . 28 February 2019 . Associated Press.
  17. News: US coalition confirms death of Fabien Clain, French militant linked to Paris 2015 attacks . 28 February 2019 . . 28 February 2019 . AP . Associated Press.
  18. News: Last civilians flee Syria's Baghouz as ISIS make final stand . 3 March 2019 . 27 October 2019 . . Viviyan . Fetah.
  19. News: US-backed force says it has taken positions in Daesh Syria camp . 24 March 2019 . . 18 March 2019.
  20. News: The Latest: US-backed Syrian forces to resume assault on IS . . 1 March 2019 . Associated Press . 27 October 2019 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190302023504/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-latest-us-backed-syrian-forces-to-resume-assault-on-is/2019/03/01/2a39ce3e-3c45-11e9-b10b-f05a22e75865_story.html . 2 March 2019.
  21. News: Philipps . Dave . Schmitt . Eric . How the U.S. Hid an Airstrike That Killed Dozens of Civilians in Syria . 14 November 2021 . The New York Times . 13 November 2021.
  22. News: US-Backed Force Says It's in Control of IS Syria Encampment . Jeff . Seldin . 19 March 2016 . 27 October 2019 . VOA News.
  23. News: . 23 March 2019 . US-allied Syrian force declares victory over Islamic State . https://web.archive.org/web/20190401020543/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/us-backed-syrian-force-declares-victory-over-islamic-state/2019/03/23/fc0eb35c-4d34-11e9-8cfc-2c5d0999c21e_story.html . 1 April 2019 . Philip . Issa . Andrea . Rosa . Maya . dead . Alleruzzo.

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