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Raqqa campaign (2016–2017)
2016–17 military operation in Syria / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Raqqa campaign[88] (codenamed Operation Wrath of Euphrates) was a military operation launched in November 2016 during the Rojava–Islamist conflict by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Raqqa Governorate, with the goal of isolating and eventually capturing the Islamic State's capital city, Raqqa. The SDF's subsidiary goals included capturing the Tabqa Dam, the nearby city of al-Thawrah,[89] and the Baath Dam further downstream.[90] The campaign ended successfully in October 2017, with the capture of Raqqa.
Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) | |||||||||
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Part of the Rojava–Islamist conflict and the American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War | |||||||||
![]() ![]() Top: A map of the SDF advances in the Raqqa Governorate Bottom: A map of the SDF advances inside of Raqqa city itself | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Co-belligerents ![]() ![]() |
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
![]() ![]() (YPG chief commander)[21] ![]() ![]() (Leading YPJ commander)[22][23][24] ![]() ![]() (MFS commander)[25] ![]() ![]() (Raqqa Hawks Brigade commander)[26] ![]() ![]() (Jabhat Thuwar al-Raqqa chief commander) ![]() ![]() (Elite Forces commander)[27] ![]() ![]() (Al-Sanadid Forces military chief commander)[25] ![]() (HXP chief commander)[28] ![]() (CJTF–OIR chief commander) For other anti-ISIL commanders, see order of battle |
![]() (Leader of ISIL)[29][30] ![]() (Leading ISIL commander for Raqqa defenses, c. 11–26 December)[31][32] ![]() (Head of security in Al-Thawrah)[33] ![]() (Chief of Information in Raqqa) ![]() (Chief of Al-Hisba secret police[33] ![]() (ISIL propaganda chief)[34] ![]() (ISIL commander of Middle East external networks)[35] ![]() (Katibah Nusantara commander)[36] ![]() (ISIL governor of Raqqa)[37] For other ISIL commanders, see order of battle | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
See anti-ISIL forces order of battle | See ISIL order of battle | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
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10,000–20,000+ fighters[65][66][67][68][69] (estimate by Western SDF volunteers & some experts)
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Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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3,784+ killed and 38 captured (SDF claim; up to 31 Aug. 2017, excluding July 2017)[lower-alpha 3] 6,000 killed (US claim)[79] | ||||||||
2,385 civilians killed[80][81][82] 200,000 civilians displaced[83][84][85][86][87] |
The offensive was concurrent with the Battle of Sirte in Libya, the Battle of Mosul in Iraq, the Battle of al-Bab in the Aleppo Governorate, the Palmyra offensive, the reignition of fighting in Deir ez-Zor's siege, the Central Syria campaign, and the Mayadin offensive.