Key Facts
- Duration
- September–December 2017
- Primary objective
- Clear Deir ez-Zor, capture Mayadin and Abu Kamal
- ISIL's de facto capital targeted
- Mayadin
- Concurrent operations
- Raqqa campaign (SDF) and Western Iraq campaign
- Theater
- Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria
Strategic Narrative Overview
Launched in September 2017, the Syrian Army and its allies advanced along the Euphrates, relieving the long-besieged city of Deir ez-Zor and systematically reducing ISIL-held pockets. The campaign proceeded in phases, clearing the city itself before pushing southeast toward Mayadin, ISIL's de facto Syrian capital, and then Abu Kamal near the Iraqi border. Concurrently, the SDF conducted its own offensive on the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
01 / The Origins
By mid-2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had lost much of its territory across Syria and Iraq but retained key urban strongholds in eastern Syria, including Deir ez-Zor, Mayadin, and Abu Kamal. The Syrian Arab Army and allied forces sought to exploit this weakening and reclaim the Euphrates River valley, cutting off ISIL's remaining administrative and logistical network in the region.
03 / The Outcome
By December 2017, Syrian government forces had captured Deir ez-Zor, Mayadin, and Abu Kamal, stripping ISIL of its last significant urban footholds in Syria. The campaign effectively ended ISIL's territorial governance in eastern Syria, though scattered insurgent activity continued. The concurrent Western Iraq and Raqqa campaigns similarly collapsed ISIL's cross-border proto-state during the same period.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.