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Raqqa campaign (2016–2017)

Raqqa campaign (2016–2017)
Part of the Syrian Civil War,
the Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict (2013–present), and
the American-led intervention in Syria
Northern Raqqa Offensive (November 2016).svg Battle of Raqqa (2017).svg
Top: A map of the SDF advances in the Raqqa Governorate;
Bottom: A map of the SDF advances inside of Raqqa city itself
Date 6 November 2016 – 20 October 2017
(11 months and 2 weeks)
Location Raqqa Governorate and northern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
35°57′00″N 39°01′00″E / 35.9500°N 39.0167°E / 35.9500; 39.0167Coordinates: 35°57′00″N 39°01′00″E / 35.9500°N 39.0167°E / 35.9500; 39.0167
Result

Decisive SDF victory

  • The SDF captures more than 236 villages, hamlets and strategic hills, two water and power stations, Tabqa Airbase,Tabqa city, Tabqa Dam, and Baath Dam
  • The SDF comes within 5 km of the Islamic State's capital city of Raqqa, in early February 2017
  • The SDF enters Raqqa city on 6 June 2017, and completely captures it on 17 October 2017
Territorial
changes
The SDF captures more than 7,400 square kilometres (2,900 sq mi) of territory from ISIL during the first, second and third phases of the campaign
Belligerents

Syrian Democratic Forces
Self Defence Forces (HXP)
Leftist/Anarchist volunteers
CJTF–OIR

 Iraqi Kurdistan


Co-belligerents:
Syrian Arab Republic
 Russia
 ISIL
Commanders and leaders

Sipan Hemo
(YPG chief commander)
Rojda Felat
(leading YPJ commander)
Kino Gabriel
(MFS commander)
Syrian opposition Fayad Ghanim
(Raqqa Hawks Brigade commander)
Abu Issa
(Jabhat Thuwar al-Raqqa chief commander)
Syrian opposition Muhedi Jayila
(Elite Forces commander)
Bandar al-Humaydi
(Al-Sanadid Forces military chief commander)
Siyamend Welat
(HXP chief commander)
United States Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend
(CJTF–OIR chief commander)

For other anti-ISIL commanders, see order of battle

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (WIA)
(Leader of ISIL)
Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti 
(leading ISIL commander for Raqqa defenses, c. 11–26 December)
Abu Saraqeb al-Maghribi
(Head of security in Al-Thawrah)
Abu Jandal al-Masri
(Chief of Information in Raqqa)
Abu Muhammad al-Jazrawi
(Chief of Al-Hisba secret police)
Mahmoud al-Isawi 
(ISIL propaganda chief)
Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi 
(ISIL commander of Middle East external networks)
Zainuri Kamaruddin 
(Katibah Nusantara commander)
Abu Luqman
(ISIL governor of Raqqa)

For other ISIL commanders, see order of battle
Units involved
See anti-ISIL forces order of battle See ISIL order of battle
Strength

30,000–40,000 SDF fighters(70% Arab acc. to the SDF)

500 HXP soldiers
United States 900 American special forces, 1 artillery battery


Russia Several Tupolev Tu-95 bombers

10,000–20,000+ fighters(estimate by Western SDF volunteers & some experts)

  • Raqqa city: c. 5,000 fighters
  • Large number of reinforcements from Mosul and al-Bab
    • 200 Iraqi reinforcements
  • Unknown number of child soldiers
Unknown number of UAVs (drones)
Casualties and losses

1,100–1,200+ killed, 2,500+ wounded (per US)
793 killed, 1,685 wounded (per SDF)

United States 1 killed

3,784+ killed and 38 captured (SDF claim; up to 31 Aug. 2017, excluding July 2017)

6,000 killed (US claim)
2,385 civilians killed
200,000 civilians displaced

Decisive SDF victory

Syrian Democratic Forces
Self Defence Forces (HXP)
Leftist/Anarchist volunteers
CJTF–OIR


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Wikipedia

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