Key Facts
- Operation names
- Operation Khuzam / Operation Lavender
- ISIL territory targeted
- 11,000 square kilometers
- Key objective town
- Al-Sukhnah (strategic oil town)
- Siege lifted
- Three-year ISIL siege of Deir ez-Zor
- Concurrent operation
- SDF Raqqa campaign against ISIL capital
Strategic Narrative Overview
Syrian Arab Army forces advanced through central Syria, targeting Al-Sukhnah as a key early objective. After capturing that town, SAA columns pushed toward Deir ez-Zor, eventually lifting the long-standing ISIL siege of the government enclave there. Simultaneously, the Syrian Democratic Forces conducted the Raqqa campaign against ISIL's former Syrian capital. In mid-September, the SDF also launched a southward offensive along the Euphrates River following the SAA's arrival at Deir ez-Zor city.
01 / The Origins
During the Syrian Civil War, the Islamic State controlled vast swaths of central Syria, including the strategic oil town of Al-Sukhnah and approximately 11,000 square kilometers of territory. ISIL had also maintained a siege around the Syrian government's enclave in Deir ez-Zor for three years, cutting it off. The Syrian Arab Army launched Operation Khuzam to break this grip and restore government control over the region.
03 / The Outcome
The SAA successfully lifted the siege of Deir ez-Zor and subsequently advanced toward Mayadin, then the Islamic State's capital in Syria. The campaign significantly reduced ISIL's territorial control in central Syria and complemented the SDF's pressure on ISIL from the north and east. The dual offensives accelerated the collapse of the Islamic State's self-proclaimed Syrian territory.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.