The Raqqa campaign (2012–2013) was a series of battles and offensives launched by various Syrian rebel groups, led by

Ahrar al-Sham Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...

and the

al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...

, against

Syrian government Government of the Syrian Arab Republic is the union government created by the constitution of Syria where by the president is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Syr ...

forces in the

Raqqa Governorate Raqqa Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة الرقة, Muḥāfaẓat ar-Raqqah) is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in the north of the country and covers an area of 19,618 km2. The capital is Raqqa. The Islamic State of ...

as part of the Syrian Civil War. The campaign was launched at the second half of 2012 and ended in the capture of the city of

Raqqa Raqqa ( ar, ٱلرَّقَّة, ar-Raqqah, also and ) (Kurdish languages, Kurdish: Reqa/ ڕەقە) is a city in Syria on the northeast bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. T ...

as well as dozens of smaller towns and facilities.

The campaign

2012

On 19 September 2012,

Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the governm ...

rebels led by the

Farouq Brigades The Farouq Brigades ( ar, كتائب الفاروق), also spelt Farooq and Farook, was an armed rebel organisation formed by a number of Homs based members of the Free Syrian Army early in the Syrian Civil War. The group rapidly expanded in siz ...

captured the border town of

Tell Abyad Tell Abyad; ku, گرێ سپی, Girê Spî; hy, Թել Աբյադ; syr, ܬܠ ܐܒܝܕ. is a town in northern Syria. It is the administrative center of the Tell Abyad District within the Raqqa Governorate. Located along the Balikh River, it const ...

and its

border crossing Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...

with the town of

Akçakale Akçakale ( ar, أقجة قلعة) is an ethnic Arab town and a district of Şanlıurfa Province, in southeastern Turkey. Akçakale forms a divided city with Tell Abyad in Syria, maintaining a border crossing. The Mayor is Mehmet Yalçınkaya ( ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. The next day, the Syrian Air Force bombed a petrol station in Tell Abyad, killing 30 civilians and wounding 70. A rebel fighter was also mortally wounded. In October, Syrian government forces launched a counteroffensive in Tell Abyad which resulted in a border clash between Syria and Turkey. On 12 October 2012, the

and

Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya Jabhat Ansar al-Din ( ar, جبهة أنصار الدين, ''The Supporters of the Religion Front'') is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014, during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Isla ...

attacked the Suluq

barrack Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...

s in Raqqa and claimed to have killed 32 Syrian soldiers. In November 2012, both the rebels and government forces set up checkpoints on the road between

al-Thawrah Al-Thawrah ( ar, ٱلثَّوْرَة, aṯ-Ṯawrah), also known as Al-Tabqah ( ar, ٱلطَّبْقَة, aṭ-Ṭabqah, also ), is a city in Raqqa Governorate, Syria, approximately west of Raqqa. The name "al-Thawrah" literally means "The Revo ...

(Tabqa) and

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

. By the end of December, the majority of the Raqqa province were reportedly under rebel control, and rebel fighters entered al-Thawra.

2013

Battle of al-Thawrah

On 10 January 2013, heavy clashes erupted in the town of al-Thawra and the

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

in Tabqa airbase shelled the town with

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

. By 11 February, rebels led by the al-Nusra Front fully captured both the town and the

Tabqa Dam The Tabqa Dam ( ar, سَدُّ الطَّبْقَةِ, Sadd aṭ-Ṭabqah, ku, Bendava Tebqa; syc, ܣܟܪܐ ܕܛܒܩܗ, Sekro d'Tabqa), or al-Thawra Dam as it is also named ( ar, سَدُّ الثَّوْرَةِ, Sadd aṯ-Ṯawrah, ku, Bendav ...

next to it.

Battle of Raqqa city

On 6 March 2013,

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

Islamist rebel forces fully captured the city of Raqqa from Syrian government, forces after a 3-day battle. The

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

retreated to the military base of the 17th Division, to the northeast of the city.

Aftermath

The al-Nusra Front and

implemented

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

in the towns they captured. By April 2013, hundreds of Assyrians were displaced from al-Thawra.

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, including those who supported the opposition, were kidnapped in Raqqa, al-Thawra, and Tel Abyad by al-Nusra and the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...

. ISIL also carried out

public execution A public execution is a form of capital punishment which "members of the general public may voluntarily attend." This definition excludes the presence of only a small number of witnesses called upon to assure executive accountability. The purpose ...

s of dozens of people in the towns by

firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...

Political activism Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

was also suppressed, several

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

es and

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s were burned, and hundreds of

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

fled Raqqa.

Order of battle

Rebel forces

Al-Tawhid Brigade deface image of Bashar al-Assad on the Hama-Raqqa road

;

-affiliated groups *

* Raqqa Revolutionaries Brigade ** Jihad in the Path of God Brigade * Kurdish Front Brigade * Euphrates Knights Brigade * Free Tabqa Brigade ; Independent Islamist groups (some of which are also part of FSA) * Islamic Unity and Liberation Front (alliance of several Islamist militias) *

Liwa Owais al-Qorani The Owais al-Qorani Brigade ( ar, لواء أويس القرني; Liwa Owais al-Qorani) is a Syrian rebel group from al-Thawrah that was formed in 2012 and revered the Islamic martyr Uwais al-Qarani. Originally part of the Free Syrian Army, the ...

* Nasr Saladin Brigade * Liwa Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman * Muntasir Billah Brigade * Katibat Hudheifa bin al-Yaman * Katibat Mohammed bin Abdullah * Katibat Musaib bin Umair * Katibat Abu Dujana * Katibat Saraya al-Furat * Katibat Shuhada al-Jamaa Jund al-Rahman * Katibat Ahrar al-Badiyah ;

Syrian Islamic Liberation Front The "Syrian Islamic Liberation Front" ("SILF"; ar , جبهة تحرير سوريا الإسلامية, "Jabhat Tahrīr Sūriya al-Islāmiyyah") was a coalition of the Islamistrebel brigades that fight the rebels in the uprising fought against ...

Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades The Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades ( ar, ألوية أحفاد الرسول ''Al-wīat Aḥfād ar-Rasūl'', "Grandsons of the Prophet Brigades") was a Syrian rebel group fighting against the Syrian government in the Syrian Civil War. It was funded by ...

Muntasir Billah Brigade tr, Muntasır Billah Tugayı , war = the Syrian Civil War , image = Muntasir Billah Brigade logo.png , image_size = 200px , caption = Logo of the militia , active = Unknown – 2013 2013 – ' ...

Al-Tawhid Brigade The al-Tawhid Brigade ( ar-at, لواء التوحيد, Liwa al-Tawhid, lit=Brigade of monothiesim), named after Tawhid, the "oneness of God," but often mistranslated as Unity Brigade, was an armed Islamist insurgent group involved in the Syria ...

Conquest Brigade , war = the Syrian Civil War , image = Conquest Brigade logo.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Logo of the militia , active = 2012 – ''present'' , ideology = Sunni Islamism *Salafi j ...

** Ghuraba al-Sham Battalion ;

Syrian Islamic Front The Syrian Islamic Front ( ar, الجبهة الإسلامية السورية ''al-Jabhah al-Islāmiyya as-Sūriyyah''; abbreviated SIF) was an Insurgent umbrella organisation alliance of various Sunni Salafi Islamist Rebel factions against th ...

** Liwa Umanaa’ al-Raqqa *

Liwa al-Haqq (Idlib) Liwa al-Haqq ( ar, لواء الحق بريف إدلب, Right Brigade or Truth Brigade), is a Syrian Islamist rebel group that was active during the Syrian Civil War until joining Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in 2017. History On 31 October 2014, amid ...

** Katibat al-Bara' ** Katibat Saraya al-Furat ;

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...

affiliates and other

Salafist jihadist Salafi jihadism or jihadist-Salafism is a transnational, hybrid religious-political ideology based on the Sunni sect of Islamism, seeking to establish a global caliphate, characterized by the advocacy for "physical" (military) jihadist and ...

s *

Islamic State of Iraq The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI; ar, دولة العراق الإسلامية '), commonly referred to as al-Qaeda in Iraq ( ar, القاعدة في العراق '), is a militant Salafist jihadist group that aimed to establish an Islamic sta ...

** Muhajireen Battalion * Shura Council Front **

Al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...

* Harakat al-Fajr al-Islamiyya *

Ghuraba al-Sham Ghuraba al-Sham ( ar, غرباء الشام ''Ghurabā' ash-Shām'', "Strangers/Foreigners of the region of Syria") was a group of jihadists of Turkish and former Eastern bloc origin who smuggled foreign fighters to Iraq, intervened in Lebanon d ...

* Katibat Usud al-Sunna (part of Mujahideen Shura Council)

Government forces

;

Syrian Armed Forces The Syrian Arab Armed Forces ( ar, الْقُوَّاتُ الْمُسَلَّحَةُ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ السُّورِيَّةُ, al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥah al-ʿArabīyah as-Sūrīyah) are the military forces of the Syrian Arab Re ...

** 17th Division *

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

National Defence Forces The National Defence Forces (NDF) ( ar, قوات الدفاع الوطني ''Quwāt ad-Difāʿ al-Watanī'') is a pro-government militia, that was formed on 1 November 2012 and organized by the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War as a ...

* Military Intelligence Directorate *

Political Security Directorate Political Security Directorate (PSD, ar, إدارة الأمن السياسي, ''Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi'') is an intelligence service of the Syrian government. It is divided into an Internal Security Department and an External Security Departm ...

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Raqqa campaign (2012-2013) Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2012 Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2013 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the al-Nusra Front Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant