Battle of Markada
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The Battle of Markada was a military confrontation between two jihadist groups, al Qaeda's al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), over the town of Markada in the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in March 2014 during the Syrian civil war.[1] The strategic importance of the town to the ISIL lay in its position on the group's weapons supply route from Iraq, the road linking Al-Hasakah with Deir ez-Zor and a hill that dominates the surrounding area.[2]
Battle
The battle started on 21 March 2014,[1] with fighting near Markada's grain silos that left 27 Nusra fighters dead and others missing.[3]
On the morning of 27 March, the ISIS attacked the town, which was being held by the Al-Nusra Front. The ISIS managed to force Nusra to withdraw to the town's hospital and the mountain overlooking Markada.[4]
Before dawn on 29 March, clashes erupted in the town[5] as the ISIS attacked the hospital and Nusra positions in the mountain.[4] After heavy fighting that left 43 Nusra and 13 ISIS fighters dead,[3] the ISIS took full control of the town,[6] with Nusra forces retreating towards the town of al-Sour in the eastern rural area of Deir ez-Zor province. Many Nusra fighters were also captured.[7] Among those killed was also the top provincial ISIS commander,[6] Omar al-Farouk al-Turki.[4]
On 31 March, Nusra launched a counter-attack in an attempt to recapture the town.[3] By this time, the number of those killed since the start of the fighting had risen to 120.[1]
References
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