Al-Shaddadah

The town's name might be derived from "Shadadu"; a governor of the district of "Suru" mentioned in the annals of the Assyria king Assurnasirpal II.[2] The town is situated off the western bank of the Khabur River. Nearby localities include al-Sabaa wa Arbain to the west.

In the course of the Syrian civil war, the city was attacked by the al-Nusra Front in the February 2013 Battle of Shaddadi and was captured three days later.[3] According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 100 Syrian Arab Army soldiers and 40 al-Nusra fighters were killed, as well as dozens of petroleum workers.[4]

The city was later taken by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and remained one of the last ISIL strongholds in the province.[5]

When in October 2015, the Kurdish-majority YPG and their multiethnic partners, including the al-Sanadid Forces of the Arab Shammar tribe, joined forces to form the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), al-Sanadid leader Bandar al-Humaydi made it an "immediate priority to liberate al-Hawl and al-Shaddadah from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.”[6]

On 24 November, it became known that Islamic State militants were transferring their family members further south to the Deir ez-Zor Governorate.[7] After the SDF captured the South Hasakah Dam on 30 November, they continued their offensive southward, towards the city of al-Shaddadah, now ISIL's last stronghold in al-Hasakah province.[8][9] Subsequently, Arab tribal leaders reportedly urged ISIL to withdraw from the city "peacefully," in order to prevent civilian casualties and the possible collapse of al-Shaddadi's economic infrastructure, if a destructive battle between the SDF/coalition forces and the Islamic State were to occur.[9] It was also reported that ISIL was beginning to evacuate some of its positions near al-Shaddadi.[9]

On 19 February 2016, the town was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).[10][11]

On 21 January 2019, US and SDF forces were attacked by a VBIED. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through an affiliated news service.[12]