Free Syrian Army captures IS stronghold of Dabiq

The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels on Sunday captured the symbolic Islamic State (IS)-held village of Dabiq in northwestern Syria.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels on Sunday captured the symbolic Islamic State (IS)-held village of Dabiq in northwestern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a monitoring group watching the Syrian civil war, reported that rebels backed by the Turkish army were able to control Dabiq and Soran villages a day after they started an offensive against IS in the area.

Citing local sources, the UK-based SOHR website said because of heavy fire from the ground and air the IS pulled back its forces from Dabiq, under its control since 2014.

The rebels were scanning the area for landmines and hiding militants, added the observatory which did not give any figures regarding casualties from the battle.

Turkish Army tanks and mortars supported the rebel offensive alongside the warplanes of the United States-led Anti-IS Coalition that conducted airstrikes.

The symbolism of Dabiq to IS was that the group long propagated to its sympathizers the belief that the place was going to be the scene of a final battle between Muslims and infidels.

IS claimed the encounter would result in victory for the insurgent group before the coming of the Apocalypse.

The jihadist group also named their English-language magazine, a propaganda tool, after Dabiq.

US President Barack Obama’s Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter IS Brett McGurk discussed the offensive in an Oct. 8 special press briefing in Washington, DC.

McGurk suggested that IS were “going to have to find a new name for their propaganda magazine.”

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany