Battle of Markada | |||||||
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Part ofinter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ahmed al-Sharaa (Leader of the Al-Nusra Front) | Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Leader of ISIL) Omar al-Farouk al-Turki † (Top provincial ISIL commander)[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
120 killed[3] |
TheBattle of Markada (also spelled "Markadah" or "Markadahin")[4] was a military confrontation between twojihadist groups,al Qaeda'sal-Nusra Front and theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), over the town ofMarkada in theAl-Hasakah Governorate, in March 2014 during theSyrian 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 linkingAl-Hasakah withDeir 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]
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[2] 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,[2] 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]
35°44′00″N40°46′00″E / 35.7333°N 40.7667°E /35.7333; 40.7667