Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) order of battle

Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in combat during the Raqqa campaign (2016–2017).

In course of the Raqqa campaign (2016–2017), an international coalition, primarily composed of the Syrian Democratic Forces and CJTF–OIR, captured the Raqqa Governorate from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which had declared Raqqa city the capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

Anti-ISIL forces

[edit]

Syrian Democratic Forces and integrated units

[edit]
Main article: Syrian Democratic Forces
SDF general headquarters - Gen. Mazlum Kobane (chief commander of the SDF),[1] Rojda Felat (leading operations commander),[2] Sipan Hemo (YPG chief commander),[3] Cihan Shekh Ahmed (spokeswoman),[2] Col. Talal Silo (spokesman),[4] Brig. Gen. Hussam Awak (high-ranking commander)[5][6]
Kurdish YPG fighters during the offensive on 24 December 2016.
Abu Yazan, commander of the Tell Abyad Revolutionaries Brigade, a SDF member group.
A Kurdish Front fighter during the Battle of Raqqa in June 2017.
Deir Ezzor Military Council fighters during the offensive.
  • Deir Ezzor Military Council (since 10 December 2016 - second phase),[6] under command of Ahmad Abu Khoula[64][65]
    • Sub-units led by Khalid Awad (killed on 22 February),[66][67] and others
  • Raqqa Regiment, led by Hassan Khalil[68]
  • Northern Brigade faction, led by Mihemed Al Musa (since 4 September 2017)[69]
  • Local pro-SDF tribes and militias[70][71][72]
Self-Defense Forces (HXP)[73] - Siyamend Welat (chief commander of HXP)[4]
  • Elements of the 3rd Brigade[73]
Police
IRPGF fighters during the campaign.
International Freedom Battalion[78]

Sinjar Resistance Units (since July 2017)[86]
Êzîdxan Women's Units (since July 2017),[86][87]

 Iraqi Kurdistan

CJTF–OIR

[edit]
Main article: Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve
US Navy sailors conduct pre-flight inspections on a Boeing EA-18G Growler that participates in Operation Inherent Resolve.
CJTF–OIR general headquarters - Maj. Gen. John W. Brennan (chief commander), Brig. Gen. Karl Harris[89] (deputy commander)
A United States Marine Corps artillery battery fires at ISIL positions during the Battle of Raqqa.

Syrian government and allies (co-belligerent)

[edit]
Main article: Syria

 Russia

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

[edit]
Main article: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
The Black Standard[broken anchor] of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
ISIL headquarters - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (self-proclaimed caliph and commander-in-chief);[104][105] Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti (leading commander for Raqqa defences 11–26 December);[106][107] Abu Khattab al-Tunisi (ISIL high command member)[108]
ISIL military forces ("Diwan al-Jund")[109]
  • Field army (organized into infantry, snipers, air defence, special forces, artillery forces, and the army of adversity)[110]
    • Defences of Al-Thawrah, under command of Abu Saraqeb al-Maghribi[111]
      • Sub-units in al-Thawrah District, led by various emirs, including Abu Umar al-Almani (killed on 25 March),[112] Abu Zubeyir (killed on 2 April),[113] and a Jordanian, who secretly worked as spy for CJTF–OIR until being extracted by US special forces in April[114]
    • Defences of Raqqa city; the eastern city was under command of Abu Khattab al-Tunisi until his death on 10 June 2017.[115] At least some of the ISIL holdouts in Raqqa by October 2017 were under the command of a man known as "Abu Osama".[85]
      • Large number of foreign mujahideen (Chechens, Sudanese, Dagestanis, Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, Turks, Saudi Arabians, Georgians, Australians, Azerbaijanis, British)[116][117][118][119]
      • Local pro-ISIL militias[1]
    • Defences of al-Fakhikha, under command of a lower-ranking local commander/official, who was arrested by ISIL around 8 January on charges that he might have sold information to the Kurds or CJTF–OIR[120]
    • Other sub-units, led by Abu Zur al-Tunisi and Bilal al-Shawwash (both deserted to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham around 7 December),[121] Abo Hamza Riadiat (killed on 8 January),[120] and others
  • Caliphate Army (elite forces)
  • Caliphate Cubs (child soldiers)
    • Abu Ubada al-Shami, one of the leading commanders and recruiters for the Caliphate Cubs, surrendered to the SDF on 20 Aug. 2017[125]
  • Committee for Military Manufacturing and Development
    • Aviation sector
      • Al Bara’ bin Malik Brigade[e]
A destroyed chemical weapons factory of ISIL in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate.
  • External operations networks, led by Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi (killed by an airstrike on 12 November)[128]
    • Network of Boubaker Al-Hakim ( reported killed by an airstrike on 26 November), including sub-units led by Salah Gourmet, Sammy Djedou, and Walid Hamman (all killed on 4 December)[129][130]
  • Units responsible for contacts and coordination among ISIL forces, led by Abo Sufian al-Orani until his death on 8 January.[120]
Administration
  • Wilayat Raqqa, under ISIL Governor Abu Luqman.[131]
    • Majority of al-Breij tribe[132]
    • Elements of al-Ajeel tribe[131]
    • Elements of al-Na'im tribe[133]
  • Islamic police (Hibsa), led by Abu Muhammad al-Jazrawi since his appointment around 31 December[111]
  • Intelligence and propaganda networks, overseen by Mahmoud al-Isawi until his death on 31 December by an airstrike[135]
    • Ahmad Abousamra, a leading ISIL propagandist, was killed by an airstrike north of al-Thawrah city in January 2017[136]
  • Ministry of Information, led by Abu Ahmed al-Souri until he was replaced by Abu Jandal al-Masri around 31 December[111]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ These are volunteers who have fully joined the YPG but aren't a part of the YPG International Battalion, and are not members of any other units such as the "International Freedom Battalion" or the "YPG International Battalion".
  2. ^ The Ghanim group was forcibly disbanded by the SDF after accusations that they worked with the government. Several members of the group, including Fayad Ghanim, then fled into areas held by the Syrian Army.[33][34]
  3. ^ After the Northern Union declared its loyalty to the Assad government on 20 February, it was destroyed by Jabhat Thuwar al-Raqqa two days later during SDF infighting.[36]
  4. ^ Abu al-Qasim al-Shammari was reportedly captured by the Raqqa Hawks Brigade during alleged SDF infighting.[44]
  5. ^ It is known that ISIL has used drones during this campaign.[126] ISIL drones are generally operated by the Al Bara’ bin Malik Brigade.[127]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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Bibliography

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raqqa campaign (2016–2017).
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