2016 Abu Kamal offensive

2016 military operation of the Syrian civil war July 2026 Abu Kamal offensive (2016) Opposition–Islamic State conflict of the Syrian civil war and the international military intervention against ISIL 2016 Al-Bukamal Offensive.svg 320px Map of the offensive 28–29 June 2016 (06 28 2016 06 29 2016) Abu Kamal District, Deir-Ez-Zor Governorate, Syria 34.4463 N 40.9210 E source:wikidata inline,title ISIL victoryhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/islamic-state-routs-pentagon-backed-syrian-rebels-in-fresh-setback-for-us-strategy/2016/06/29/41833a16-3e0b-11e6-9e16-4cf01a41decb_story.html Islamic State routs Pentagon-backed Syrian rebels in fresh setback for U.S. strategy The Washington Post 26 April 2019 8 February 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20190426124542/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/islamic-state-routs-pentagon-backed-syrian-rebels-in-fresh-setback-for-us-strategy/2016/06/29/41833a16-3e0b-11e6-9e16-4cf01a41decb_story.html live The FSA withdraws from all positions it had captured back to its base at al-Tanfhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/07/06/u-s-jets-abandoned-syrian-rebels-in-the-desert-then-they-lost-a-battle-to-isis/ U.S. jets abandoned Syrian rebels in the desert. Then they lost a battle to ISIS. Thomas Gibbons-Neff Liz Sly The Washington Post 6 July 2016 8 February 2025 13 May 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190513031425/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/07/06/u-s-jets-abandoned-syrian-rebels-in-the-desert-then-they-lost-a-battle-to-isis/ live Syrian opposition Free Syrian ArmyPro-NSA Arab clansSupported by:Seal of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.svg no CJTF–OIR United States Flag of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.svg CIAhttps://sofrep.com/44371/cia-funded-sof-trained-new-syrian-army-hits-ground/ CIA Funded and SOF Trained: The New Syrian Army Hits the Ground Sofrep 11 September 2015 8 February 2025 Jack Murphy 16 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180716111933/https://sofrep.com/44371/cia-funded-sof-trained-new-syrian-army-hits-ground/ live Jordan Islamic State Wilayat al-Furat Syrian opposition Khazal al-Sarhan(New Syrian Army commander) Syrian opposition Mozahem al-Saloum (NSA spokesman) AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg Abu Ruqayya al-Ansari *Syrian opposition Authenticity and Development Front Syrian opposition Syrian Free Armyhttps://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/567148-isis-on-alert-as-rebels-advance-near-syria-iraq-border ISIS on alert as rebels advance near Syria-Iraq border Now News 29 June 2016 8 February 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20160630201950/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/567148-isis-on-alert-as-rebels-advance-near-syria-iraq-border 30 June 2016 dead dmy-all Syrian opposition Southern Front Syrian opposition Lions of the East Armyhttps://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrian-troops-capture-important-area-city-aleppo-40183032 US-Backed Syrian Rebels Move Toward IS-Held Town Near Iraq ABC News Associated Press 28 June 2016 8 February 2025 2 July 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160702090745/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrian-troops-capture-important-area-city-aleppo-40183032 live Syrian opposition Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo Unknown Syrian opposition 125–200 NSA fightershttp://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-syria-us-rebels-20160629-snap-story.html U.S.-backed rebels launched their first attack against Islamic State. They lost. Nabih Bulos Los Angeles Times 29 June 2016 8 February 2025 24 August 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160824120749/http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-syria-us-rebels-20160629-snap-story.html livehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/01/they-rescued-this-town-from-isis-then-lost-it.html They Rescued This Town from ISIS, Then Lost It Michael Weiss The Daily Beast 1 July 2016 8 February 2025 15 March 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170315032459/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/01/they-rescued-this-town-from-isis-then-lost-it.html live Unknown 40 killed, 15 captured (ISIL claim)25+ killed or captured (SOHR claim)5–40+ killed (NSA claim)http://me-confidential.com/13054-syria-is-retakes-hamdan-airport-base-rebels-flee-to-al-tanf.html Syria: IS retakes Hamdan airport base, rebels flee to al-Tanf 8 February 2025 1 July 2016 Peter Mulvany Middle East Confidential 20 killed (NSA claim) The 2016 Abu Kamal offensive, also known as Operation Day of Wrath, was launched on the town of Abu Kamal on the Syrian–Iraqi border led by the US-backed New Syrian Army (NSA).https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/u-s-begins-new-operation-drive-isis-deir-ezzor/ US begins new operation to drive ISIS away from Iraq-Syria border Leith Aboufadel Al Masdar News 8 February 2025 29 March 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180329115150/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/u-s-begins-new-operation-drive-isis-deir-ezzor/ deadFebruary 2025 The offensive On 28 June 2016, the New Syrian Army rebels launched the offensive from at-Tanf and occupied the village of al-Sukkariya north of Abu Kamal, the nearby Hamdan Military Airfield, and the Ayshat al-Khayri Hospital in northern Abu Kamal, all of which were unguarded by ISIL. They also established several positions in the desert between the Tanf border crossing and Abu Kamal. Some NSA troops were airlifted to the area by three Coalition helicopters while a sizable convoy of US provided vehicles made its way from the at-Tanf garrison toward Abu Kamal. The NSA advance was aided by FSA covert supporters inside the city. At the same time as the operation started, it was reported that Iraqi Federal Police forces were preparing to simultaneously attack the town of al-Qa'im, on the Iraqi side of the border. However, Iraqi Sunni tribesmen were the ones in fact involved in the operation, and acted ”precipitously and insufficiently in their role”, alerting ISIL of the offensive. ISIL then proceeded to cut power and communications in Abu Kamal, followed by digging trenches around the city.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-border-idUSKCN0ZF0AW Syria rebels battle IS at Iraqi border, aim to cut 'caliphate' in two Reuters 29 June 2016 2 July 2017 6 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181206192139/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-border-idUSKCN0ZF0AW live On the next day, US air support was withdrawn to take part in the Third Battle of Fallujah. ISIL recaptured the airbase, pushed the rebels back from the outskirts of Abu Kamal, and attacked the supply lines of the NSA through the empty desert. ISIL fighters encircled the rebels in a surprise ambush. They inflicted heavy casualties on the rebels, and NSA weapons and vehicles were seized by the jihadists. The rebels initially retreated to the outlying desert areas,https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-border-idUSKCN0ZF0AW Islamic State forces Syria rebels to retreat from border area 29 June 2016 Reuters 8 February 2025 Suleiman Al-Khalidi Tom Perry 6 December 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181206192139/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-border-idUSKCN0ZF0AW livehttps://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-overruns-us-backed-fighters-eastern-syria/ In video: ISIS overruns US-backed fighters in Eastern Syria Al Masdar News Zen Adra 29 June 2016 8 February 2025 24 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180824035707/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-overruns-us-backed-fighters-eastern-syria/ deadFebruary 2025 before fully pulling back to their base at the at-Tanf border crossing, 200 miles away. The lack of US air support was blamed as the key factor contributing to the NSA's defeat, but without coalition air controllers on the ground, it was unlikely the air support would have made any significant contribution. The offensive was described by some as a ”crippling defeat”http://www.conflict-news.com/articles/us-backed-new-syrian-army-suffers-crippling-defeat US Backed New Syrian Army Suffers Crippling Defeat https://web.archive.org/web/20160813082524/http://www.conflict-news.com/articles/us-backed-new-syrian-army-suffers-crippling-defeat 8 February 2025 Conflict News Michael Cruickshank 13 August 2016 dead dmy-all and a ”Bay-of-Pigs-style fiasco” for the rebels, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director stated after the defeat that the whole operation ”was more a media show than anything else”. The U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter stated, in regards to the pulling back of the air support for the rebels, ”We missed an opportunity”.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/07/08/pentagon-chief-on-pulling-air-support-for-u-s-backed-rebels-we-missed-an-opportunity/ Pentagon chief on pulling air support for U.S.-backed rebels: 'We missed an opportunity' The Washington Post Thomas Gibbons-Neff Dan Lamothe 10 September 2018 8 February 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20180910203856/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/07/08/pentagon-chief-on-pulling-air-support-for-u-s-backed-rebels-we-missed-an-opportunity/ live Losses In an ISIL propaganda video, the NSA suffered 2 known deaths on the battlefield along with 3 fighters from the Ahmad al-Abdo Martyr group who were killed in an ISIL ambush while retreating from Abu Kamal. ISIL, however, claimed 40 NSA deaths and 15 captured along with the seizure of a large amount of weaponry consisting of mostly heavy machine guns, mortars, and assault rifles. In addition, ISIL suffered 20 deaths according to the NSA in a combination of a total of 13 Coalition air-strikes and their ground offensive operation. In one instance, a pro-NSA sleeper cell group in Abu Kamal detonated a car bomb that killed 3 ISIL fighters.https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/07/31/the-battle-of-al-bukamal-narratives-reality-and-open-source-investigation/ The Battle of al-Bukamal: Here's What Really Happened Bellingcat 2016-07-31 Rao Kumar en-US 8 February 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20161008191437/https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/07/31/the-battle-of-al-bukamal-narratives-reality-and-open-source-investigation/ 8 October 2016 dead dmy-all See also Syria Syrian Desert campaign (December 2016 – April 2017) 2017 Abu Kamal offensive As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018) Deir ez-Zor Governorate campaign References Category:Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2016 Category:Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State Category:Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the United States Category:June 2016 in Syria Category:Abu Kamal District