Deir ez-Zor campaign (2017–2019)
The Deir ez-Zor campaign,[71] codenamed the al-Jazeera Storm campaign,[40] was a military operation launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria's Deir ez-Zor Governorate in 2017 during the Syrian Civil War with the goal of capturing territory in eastern Syria, particularly east and north of the Euphrates river.[40] The U.S.-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) anti-ISIL coalition provided extensive air support while SDF personnel composed the majority of the ground forces; OIR special forces and artillery units were also involved in the campaign.[72]
This article is about the Syrian Democratic Forces campaign. For the Syrian Army campaign, see Deir ez-Zor offensive (September–November 2017). For other uses, see Deir ez-Zor Governorate campaign.
The ground campaign stalled and was paused in early 2018 due to the Turkish military operation in Afrin, but resumed on 1 May 2018 with the new phase named by the coalition as Operation Roundup.[73][5] The third phase began on 10 September 2018 but was halted due to Turkish artillery attacks on SDF positions near the Syria-Turkey border on 31 October. The SDF and the coalition announced the resumption of the offensive on 11 November.[74] After a series of steady successes following the capture of ISIL's Hajin stronghold, and a ten-day pause for civilian evacuations, the SDF launched its final assault on ISIL's final pocket of territory on 9 February 2019[75] and declared victory on 23 March, concluding the campaign.
The first phase of the campaign was concurrent with another SDF operation, the Raqqa campaign conducted against Raqqa, ISIL's then-capital city and main stronghold in Syria, as well as the Central Syria campaign, the Eastern Syria campaign, the Syrian Desert campaign, and the Deir ez-Zor offensive, in which the Syrian Army (SAA) was also capturing territory from the Islamic State; the Iraqi Army's Western Iraq campaign against ISIL was also underway.
Prelude[edit]
On 25 August 2017, around 800 fighters from the Syrian Elite Forces defected to the SDF's Deir ez-Zor Military Council. On the same day, Ahmad Abu Khawla, commander of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, announced that it would launch an offensive north of Deir ez-Zor within several weeks.[20] Just before the start of the offensive, the SDF received a large amount of new weaponry and ammunition from the U.S.-led CJTF–OIR Coalition.[76]