kobani sep 15, 2014-present strategic context the syrian civil war began in march 2011 and quickly...
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Lovers Forest Mishtenur Hill Kobanî / Ayn al-Arab Minaze Tell Shair Public Park Hospital Souq al-Hal Al Hurriya Square Azadi Square Prison Sharia School Cultural Center 48 th Street Tall Shair Mazra’at Amud Tirmuk Bijan Mazra’ah Saghir Hill Radio Tower Qarah Halinj Tell Arab-Pinar ISIS (Abu Khattab) Border Point Turks (Erdogan) YPG & allies (various) TURKEY SYRIA Mursitpunar Haj Rashad Mosque Grain silos Aleppo Road Kobani, a former city of 40,000 people 2x3km in size, lays just south of the fortified Turkey-Syria border. The city features narrow streets and buildings up to five stories high, making any combat difficult. Kobani is surrounded by a number of smaller towns in its suburbs, offering the only cover outside the city. There are six roads leading into Kobani, the largest being in the south and west. There are five elevated areas around Kobani, the most significant being Mishtenur Hill in the south, which offers a commanding view of the battlefield. To the north of Mursitpunar, the ground also slopes upwards, giving the Turkish side a good view of the city. The key terrain of the battlefield is the border crossing; it is the YPG’s lifeline for supplies and reinforcements, and ISIS’ overall objective for dominating the region.TRANSCRIPT
KobaniSep 15, 2014-present
Strategic ContextThe Syrian Civil War began in March 2011 and quickly become a complicated mess as the number of factions involved multiplied. The Kurdish armed wing in Syria, the People’s Protection Unit (YPG), largely sided with moderate rebel factions such as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and fought against Bashar al-Assad’s government troops and Islamic extremist factions such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In spring 2014, ISIS made sweeping advances in Iraq and Syria, becoming the YPG’s main adversary as it captured parts of Syrian Kurdistan. In July 2014, ISIS set its sights on Kurdish-held Kobani, a city along the Turkey-Syria border. The Turkish government is uneasy about the strength of the YPG and the overall Kurdish Democratic Union party (PYD) which unites Kurds in across the region, including those in Turkey. The PYD and others have accused Turkey of aiding ISIS along the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey’s position was further complicated in September when the United States-led Coalition intervened with airstrikes to degrade and destroy ISIS in Syria and Iraq. By November, up to 3,000 ISIS and 40 tanks besiege Kobani, held by 2,000 YPG backed by Coalition aircraft.
Stakes+ An ISIS victory would consolidate its control of the Turkey-Syria border, establish a land connection between Jarablus and Tel Abyad, and weaken the Coalition’s credibility and resolve.
+ A YPG victory would preserve the Kurdish autonomy project in Syrian Kurdistan.
By Jonathan Webb, 2014
Syria Dec 7, 2014
Lovers Forest
Mishtenur Hill
Kobanî / Ayn al-Arab
Minaze
Tell Shair
Public Park
Hospital
Souq al-Hal
Al Hurriya Square
Azadi Square
Prison
Sharia School
Cultural Center
48th Street
Tall Shair
Mazra’at Amud
Tirmuk Bijan
Mazra’ah Saghir
Hill
Radio TowerQarah Halinj
Tell Arab-Pinar
ISIS(Abu Khattab)
NN
Border Point
Turks(Erdogan)
YPG & allies(various)
TURKEY
SYRIA
Mursitpunar
Haj Rashad Mosque
Grain silos
Aleppo Road
Kobani, a former city of 40,000 people 2x3km in size, lays just south of the fortified Turkey-Syria border. The city features narrow streets and buildings up to five stories high, making any combat difficult. Kobani is surrounded by a number of smaller towns in its suburbs, offering the only cover outside the city. There are six roads leading into Kobani, the largest being in the south and west. There are five elevated areas around Kobani, the most significant being Mishtenur Hill in the south, which offers a commanding view of the battlefield. To the north of Mursitpunar, the ground also slopes upwards, giving the Turkish side a good view of the city. The key terrain of the battlefield is the border crossing; it is the YPG’s lifeline for supplies and reinforcements, and ISIS’ overall objective for dominating the region.
ISIS(Abu Khattab)
NN
Symbol guide
YPG & allies(various)
Dec 10-16 is characterized by more sporadic fighting, and continuing shelling and 22x Coalition airstrikes. In the east, ISIS attempts to infiltrate YPG lines near the Cultural Center Dec 10, 14 and 15, which the YPG repel. ISIS also continues to probe YPG positions near the border crossing Dec 12 with confused reporting of a suicide attack nearby. Overall, the YPG extend their control slightly in the east with small-scale operations, helped by consistent Coalition airstrikes in the city and roads leading into it. In the south. the YPG continue to extend patrols south, cutting the Aleppo-Tirmuk road. The south sees consistent combat throughout the period involving heavy weapons on both sides. YPG advances are supported by Peshmerga artillery and Coalition airstrikes. On Dec 16, ISIS targets Kobani civilians with 50x shells, killing 3x civilians in apparent frustration. Casualties among fighters during this period are very unclear however.
Dec 10-16
Turks(Erdogan)
Landmarks
Mursitpunar
Lovers Forest
Mishtenur Hill
TURKEY
SYRIA
Kobanî / Ayn al-Arab
Minaze
Border PointHaj Rashad Mosque
Public Park
Hospital
Souq al-Hal
Al Hurriya Square
Azadi Square
Prison
Sharia School
Cultural Center
48th Street
Tall Shair
Mazra’at Amud
Tirmuk
Mazra’ah Saghir
Hill
Radio TowerQarah Halinj
Tell Arab-Pinar
Grain silos
Aleppo Road
Tell Shair
YPG & allies ISIS
Infantry Infantry
Artillery Armour
Shelling Shelling
Suicide vest
Car bomb (inc. suicide)
Coalition Turks
Airstrike Mechanized infantry
Minefield
www.theartofbattle.com
The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com
By Jonathan Webb, 2014