Battle of Markada
Part ofinter-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[2]
Belligerents
al Nusra Front	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Barakah Province[1] Katiba al-Bittar al-Libi
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]

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

35°44′00″N40°46′00″E / 35.7333°N 40.7667°E /35.7333; 40.7667

• Battles of the Syrian civil war in 2014
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
• Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the al-Nusra Front
• Al-Hasakah District
• Attacks on hospitals during the Syrian civil war

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