Battle of Qamishli (2016)

Not to be confused with Battle of Qamishli (2021).

The 2016 Battle of Qamishli was a violent urban battle between the Asayish police of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the pro-Syrian government National Defence Forces in the city of Qamishli, Syria.

Battle of Qamishli (2016)
Part of the Rojava conflict and the Syrian Civil War
Top: Asayish forces during the clashes Bottom: Strategic view of Qamishli, before the clashes occurred
Date 20–22 April 2016 (2 days) Location Qamishli, al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria 37°3′0″N 41°13′0″E Result Ceasefire[1] Kurdish forces capture the besieged Allaya Prison[2][3]
Belligerents
Democratic Federation of Northern Syria Asayish[4] Special Security Forces (HAT)[4] YPG[5] Self Defence Force (HPC)	Syrian Arab Republic[6] National Defense Forces Sootoro[7] Syrian Armed Forces[8] (limited support)[9]
Commanders and leaders
Heval Redur[10] (Asayish commander)	Unknown
Casualties and losses
16 killed[11]	22–31 killed,[12][1] 80–102 captured[12][10]
17–23 civilians killed[12]
Location within Syria Show map of Syria Battle of Qamishli (2016) (Turkey) Show map of Turkey

The battle

On 20 April 2016, National Defence Forces militias attacked an Asayish patrol when Kurdish police failed to stop at a government checkpoint inside the Qamishli District.^[13] According to Kurdish sources the NDF killed 2 Asayish members and 2 civilians with sniper fire.^[4] Additional clashes then escalated between the two factions, with Asayish forces taking part in the fighting, killing 8 NDF members and arresting others.

The next day, the Asayish encircled government forces in the center of the city, taking over a bakery and the besieged Allaya Prison, with five Asayish fighters being killed.^[14][2] 45 NDF militiamen surrendered and several civilians were killed.^[15][3] During the battle Asayish forces removed a poster of Bashar al-Assad in captured areas.^[2] In response, the Syrian Army shelled the prison and surrounding areas with mortars, killing 4 civilians in the nearby neighborhoods. On the same day, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed a car bomb attack that killed and wounded 15 Kurdish fighters in the city.^[8] In the evening, the NDF and Sootoro reversed some of Asayish's gains and captured two checkpoints, a stadium, and a hospital in the city.^[7][16]

An indefinite ceasefire was declared on 22 April. According to the ceasefire agreement, each side will keep the territory under its control. The ceasefire gave the Kurds control of more territory in Northern Syria.^[3][1][17]

Aftermath

Nearly two dozen of the captured pro-government fighters were subsequently released under the terms of the ceasefire on 25 April.^[18]

See also

• Battle of al-Hasakah (2016)
• Wusta clashes (2016)
• Qamishli clashes (2018)
• Siege of Qamishli and Al-Hasakah
• Qamishli clashes (2021)
• Rojava–Syria relations

References

1. "Regime, Kurds agree to indefinite truce in northeast Syria city". AFP. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
2. "Two days of bloodshed in Qamishli as Kurds battle regime forces". Syria:direct. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
3. Owen, Tess (24 April 2016). "Qamishli Ceasefire Gives Kurds More Territory in Northern Syria | VICE News". VICE News. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
4. "Clashes erupt between Syrian regime and Kurdish forces in Qamishli". ARA News. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
5. "Ceasefire declared in Qamishlo". Firat News Agency. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
6. "From the Frontlines of Assad's Strike on the Kurds". The Daily Beast. 22 April 2016.
7. "Government, Assyrian forces capture more territory from Kurdish troops in Qamishli". Al-Masdar News. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
8. "Syrian regime forces bomb Kurdish city of Qamishli amid raging clashes". ARA News. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
9. "50 NDF soldiers surrender to Kurds in Qamishli as clashes enter day three". Al-Masdar News. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
10. "Ceasefire reached between Kurds and Assad regime following heavy clashes in Qamislo" Archived 17 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine.ARA News. 23 April 2016.
11. "89 قضوا أمس بينهم 27 عنصراً من قوات النظام والمسلحين الموالين لها، و31 استشهدوا جراء قصف جوي وسقوط قذائف وطلقات نارية وانفجارات وتحت التعذيب وظروف أخرى | المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان". www.syriahr.com (in Arabic). 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016.
12. "Kurdish forces to keep areas taken from Syrian government forces truce". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
13. Fadel, Leith (20 April 2016). "Clashes erupt between Syrian government and Kurdish forces in Qamishli". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
14. "Battle between Syrian government, Kurdish force kills 26: Kurdish official". www.reuters.com. 21 April 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
15. "Kurdish, Syrian government forces declare truce in Qamishli area: statement". Reuters. 23 April 2016. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
16. "Silence in al-Qamishli after violent clashes". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
17. Fadel, Leith (22 April 2016). "Breaking: Government, Kurdish leadership declare truce in Qamishli". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
18. Fadel, Leith (25 April 2016). "Kurdish, government forces exchange prisoners in Qamishli". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.