Al-Baghuz Fawqani

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.{{cite news |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2018/10/28/ISIS-ousts-US-backed-forces-from-east-Syria-holdout-.html |title=ISIS repels US-backed forces from east Syria holdout |date=28 October 2018 |work=Al Arabiya English |author=AFP |author-link=Agence France-Presse |access-date=3 August 2019}}{{cite news |url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=105433 |title=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 |date=28 October 2018 |work=SOHR |access-date=3 August 2019}} The area was initially administered by ISIL's Euphrates Province, but later transferred to al-Barakah district.{{cite news |url=https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c200anqo |title=Explainer: IS redraws boundaries of its local Syrian 'branches' |work=BBC Monitoring |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=11 October 2018 |access-date=16 November 2018 }}

During a multi-year campaign in eastern Syria, the town was captured from ISIL by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 23 January 2019,{{cite news |url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=113467 |title=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 |date=23 January 2019 |access-date=3 August 2019 |work=The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights}} leaving ISIL completely besieged in the town of Al-Marashidah, to the north.{{cite news |title=Down to Its Last 2 Villages in Syria, ISIS Still Fights Back |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 24, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/world/middleeast/isis-syria-last-territory.html |access-date=January 24, 2019 |first=Rukmini |last=Callimachi |author-link=Rukmini Callimachi |page=4 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isils-reign-over-eastern-euphrates-nearing-its-end-map/ |title=ISIL's reign over eastern Euphrates nearing its end – map |first=Leith |last=Aboufadel |newspaper=Al-Masdar News |date=24 January 2019 |access-date=25 January 2019 |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111004303/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isils-reign-over-eastern-euphrates-nearing-its-end-map/ |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |title=The International Alliance aircrafts [sic] targets the outskirts of the town of Al-Bagouz in the eastern countryside of Deir Al-Azur |work=syria.liveuamap.com |date=1 February 2019 |url=https://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2019/1-february-the-international-alliance-aircrafts-targets-the |access-date=1 February 2019}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2776734&language=en |title=Coalition, partners continue squeezing IS militants in Iraq, Syria -- statement |date=7 February 2019 |access-date=3 August 2019 |work=Kuwait News Agency}}{{cite news |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-squeezed-into-last-areas-as-sdf-troops-capture-2-villages-east-of-the-euphrates-mapto/ |title=ISIS squeezed into last areas as SDF troops capture 2 villages east of the Euphrates (MAP) |first=Leith |last=Aboufadel |newspaper=Al-Masdar News |date=7 February 2019 |access-date=15 February 2019 |archive-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=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/ |url-status=dead }}

{{Main|Battle of Baghuz Fawqani|2019 U.S. airstrike in Baghuz}}

File:Battle of Baghuz (2019).svg territory is situated west and south of the riverbend.]]

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,{{cite news |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-backed-fighters-launch-final-push-to-defeat-is-in-syria/4779930.html |title=US-backed Fighters Launch Final Push to Defeat IS in Syria |first=Rikar |last=Hussein |work=VOA News |date=9 February 2019 |access-date=15 February 2019}} opening the attack with a massive bombardment on the Huwayjat Khanafirah neighborhood, with violent clashes continuing throughout the night and into the morning hours.{{cite tweet |number=1094619156148879360 |title=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 |date=10 February 2019 |access-date=27 October 2019 |user=Gargaristan |author=Gargari}}{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/clashes-sdf-launches-push-isil-190210112828641.html |title='Heavy clashes' in Syria as SDF launches final push against ISIL |date=10 February 2019 |access-date=27 October 2019 |newspaper=Al Jazeera |publisher=Al Jazeera Media Network}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/02/12/us-strikes-isis-held-mosque-as-syria-battle-intensifies/ |title=US strikes ISIS-held mosque as Syria battle intensifies |first=Bassem |last=Mroue |date=12 February 2019 |access-date=27 October 2019 |magazine=Military Times |publisher=Sightline Media Group}}

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.{{Cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/severed-heads-found-mass-grave-near-syria-pocket-164019098.html |title=Severed heads found in mass grave near Syria IS pocket |date=4 March 2019 |access-date=28 February 2019 |author=Agence France-Presse |author-link=Agence France-Presse |work=Yahoo News |publisher=Yahoo}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/mass-grave-with-dozens-of-decapitated-bodies-found-in-last-isis-enclave-they-were-slaughtered |title=Mass grave with dozens of decapitated bodies found in last ISIS enclave: 'They were slaughtered' |last=Sang |first=Lucia I. Suarez |date=28 February 2019 |work=Fox News |access-date=28 February 2019 |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190228-french-militant-fabien-clain-death-confirmed |title=US coalition confirms death of Fabien Clain, French militant linked to Paris 2015 attacks |date=28 February 2019 |work=France 24 |access-date=28 February 2019 |author=AP |author-link=Associated Press}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/030320192 |title=Last civilians flee Syria's Baghouz as ISIS make final stand |date=3 March 2019 |access-date=27 October 2019 |work=Rudaw Media Network |first=Viviyan |last=Fetah}} However, locals said the corpses were victims of airstrikes.{{cite news |title=US-backed force says it has taken positions in Daesh Syria camp |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190319-us-backed-force-says-it-has-taken-positions-in-daesh-syria-camp/ |access-date=24 March 2019 |work=Middle East Monitor |date=18 March 2019}}

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.{{cite news |url=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 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=1 March 2019 |title=The Latest: US-backed Syrian forces to resume assault on IS |agency=Associated Press |access-date=27 October 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=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 |archive-date=2 March 2019}} On 18 March, the United States launched an airstrike which killed 80 people, most of them civilians according to the New York Times.{{cite news |last1=Philipps |first1=Dave |last2=Schmitt |first2=Eric |title=How the U.S. Hid an Airstrike That Killed Dozens of Civilians in Syria |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/13/us/us-airstrikes-civilian-deaths.html |access-date=14 November 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=13 November 2021}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-backed-force-says-it-s-in-control-of-is-syria-encampment/4837367.html |title=US-Backed Force Says It's in Control of IS Syria Encampment |first=Jeff |last=Seldin |date=19 March 2016 |access-date=27 October 2019 |work=VOA News}}

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.{{cite news |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=23 March 2019 |url=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 |title=US-allied Syrian force declares victory over Islamic State |archive-url=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 |archive-date=1 April 2019 |first1=Philip |last1=Issa |first2=Andrea |last2=Rosa |first3=Maya |url-status=dead |last3=Alleruzzo}}

{{Reflist}}

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{{Deir ez-Zor Governorate|abu}}

Category:Populated places in Deir ez-Zor Governorate

Category:Populated places on the Euphrates River