The Maskanah Plains offensive was an operation by the Syrian Army against the remaining

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

(ISIL) strongholds in the eastern countryside of the Aleppo Province, with the goal of recapturing the Maskanah Plains from ISIL and advancing into 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 ...

Background

Between January and April 2017, the Syrian Army conducted an offensive that saw them capture the city of

Dayr Hafir Dayr Hafir ( ar, دَيْر حَافِر / ALA-LC: ''Dayr Ḥāfir'') is a Syrian city in the Aleppo Governorate, east of Aleppo on the Aleppo-Raqqa highway, to the north of Sabkhat al-Jabbul. It is the regional centre of Dayr Hafir District ...

, the towns of

Tadef Tadef ( ar, تادف; also spelled Tedef or Tadif) is a town southeast of Al-Bab, about east of Aleppo, Syria and less than south of Al Bab. The town, which is the site of a shrine to the Hebrew prophet Ezra (c. 400 BCE), was a popular summer r ...

and

Al-Khafsah Al-Khafsah ( ar, الخفسة), also spelled Khafsa, is a village located east of Aleppo in northern Syria. In the 2004 census, it had a population of 5,393. In June 2016, the village was under control of ISIL. On 8 September 2016, ISIL evacu ...

, and nearly 250 villages from ISIL. They also managed to cut off the Turkish Army from advancing further into Syria, and secured the water supply to Aleppo. The offensive was halted in early April, just short of capturing the Jirah Airbase, after government forces were redirected to fend off a rebel offensive against Hama.

The offensive

Battle for Jirah Airbase

On 9 May, Syrian government forces restarted their operations against ISIL in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, as the Russian Air Force conducted heavy air-strikes against ISIL positions. The next day, government troops captured the village of Al-Mahdoum, after which they quickly attacked two villages southwest of the ISIL-held Jirah Airbase. The capture of the villages would give the Army fire-control over the airbase. However, the assault was eventually repelled due to heavy ISIL anti-tank missile fire. Two suicide-bombers and armed drones were also used by ISIL. Late on 12 May, Syrian government troops captured the Jirah Airbase. ISIL forces in the Maskanah Plain then launched a counterattack on the airbase. A day later, after the ISIL counterattack was repelled, and the Syrian Army resumed their offensive in the region, capturing the last hill overlooking the airbase.

Capture of Maskanah

Led by the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Army swept through the countryside south and southwest of the airbase on 17 May, capturing 11 villages. Between 21 and 24 May, the Tiger Forces captured another 11 villages, reaching within 6 km from ISIL's stronghold of

Maskanah Maskanah ( ar, مَسْكَنَة) also spelled, Meskene is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Manbij District of the Aleppo Governorate. The town is located southeast of Aleppo on the Lake Assad part of the Euphrates. Nearb ...

. On 26 May, the Tiger Forces captured a village just three kilometers from Maskanah. The next morning, the Tiger Forces, alongside Al-Baqir tribal fighters, overran large areas east of Lake Jabbul, capturing 11 villages, and thus securing the entirety of Lake Jabbul for the first time since 2014. The same day, the Tiger Forces also took control of Maskanah's train station, as well as other nearby areas, bringing them to 1.5 km from Maskanah. At the start of June, the Army continued with its advances around Maskanah, captured 16 villages and cutting off ISIL's main supply route towards Maskanah, effectively encircling it. On 3 June, the Syrian Army, led by the Tiger forces, captured

and the surrounding villages after ISIL fighters withdrew from the area, thus expelling ISIL from its last stronghold in

Aleppo governorate Aleppo Governorate ( ar, محافظة حلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥalab'' / ) is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is the most populous governorate in Syria with a population of more than 4,867,000 (2011 Est.), almost 23% of t ...

. The next day, the Army came reached the boundaries of

after a battle, during which they seized two villages.

Advance to Raqqa's border

On 5 June, the Tiger Forces captured half a dozen villages in Masakanah's countryside, coming close towards fully expelling ISIL from Aleppo Governorate. The next day, government forces captured another six villages, officially reentering Ar-Raqqah province. On 8 June, ISIL's foothold crumbled near

Lake Assad Lake Assad ( ar, بحيرة الأسد, ''Buhayrat al-Assad'') is a reservoir on the Euphrates in Raqqa Governorate, Syria. It was created in 1974 when construction of the Tabqa Dam was completed. Lake Assad is Syria's largest lake, with a maxim ...

, resulting in the withdrawal of the group from areas near it, including around 20 villages, creating a no man's land between the Syrian Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces. By the end of the day, the Army took control of 15 of these villages.

Aftermath – Advance into Raqqa

In mid-June 2017, the Syrian Army started a large advance into the Raqqa Governorate, eventually reaching the Ithriya- Tabqa road and capturing the town of Resafa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maskanah Plains offensive Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2017 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Russia May 2017 events in Syria June 2017 events in Syria Conflicts in 2017