Al-Tanf offensive (2016)

Part of the

Syrian Civil War

Date	3^[2] – 5 March 2016 (2 days)
Location	Al-Tanf, Homs Governorate, Syria
Result	FSA victory. Rebels capture the Al-Tanf border post and immediate surroundings

Belligerents

Free Syrian Army Supported by:

CJTF–OIR

United States
- CIA^[1]

Jordan

ISIL

Commanders and leaders

Khazal al-Sarhan
(New Syrian Army commander)

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
(Leader of ISIL)

Units involved

Free Syrian Army

New Syrian Army
Southern Front

Military of ISIL

Strength

Unknown

Casualties and losses

Unknown

Syrian civil war

Timeline

Background and causes
Casualties
Cities
- map
Terrorism
Massacres

Civil uprising in Syria (March–August 2011)
Daraa Baniyas Homs (May–August 2011) Talkalakh Rastan and Talbiseh 1st Jisr ash-Shughur 1st Jabal al-Zawiya Hama Latakia

v t e Start of insurgency (Sept. 2011 – April 2012)
Homs (2011–14) Homs offensive 1st Idlib Gov. Syrian–Turkish border Jabal al-Zawiya 1st Idlib City Saraqeb 1st Rastan Hama Gov. Shayrat & Tiyas ambush Daraa Gov. 1st Rif Dimashq 1st Zabadani Douma Deir ez-Zor (2011–2014) Hatla Aleppo Gov. Azaz 2nd Rastan 1st al-Qusayr 2nd Idlib Gov. Taftanaz

UN ceasefire; Rebel advances (May 2012 – Dec. 2013)

3rd Rastan
Houla
Northern Homs
Al-Haffah
Al-Qubeir
Al-Tremseh
3rd Idlib Gov.
1st Damascus
- Bombing
Aleppo
- Anadan
- Menagh Air Base
- Base 46
- Khan al-Assal
- 1st Aleppo offensive
- 2nd Aleppo offensive
Syrian Kurdistan and Kurdish–Islamist conflict
- Hasaka campaign
- Tell Abyad
Nubl & Al-Zahraa
2nd Rif Dimashq (1st Darayya)
Abu al-Duhur Airbase
Quneitra Gov.
3rd Rif Dimashq
- 1st Yarmouk camp
- 2nd Darayya
Darayya & Muadamiyat
Aqrab
1st Hama offensive
- Halfaya
1st Safira
Shadadeh
2nd Damascus
1st Raqqa campaign (1st Raqqa)
1st Daraa offensive
4th Rif Dimashq
- Jdaidet al-Fadl
- Tadamon
- Ghouta
Al-Qusayr offensive
- 2nd al-Qusayr
Eastern Ghouta
2nd Hama offensive
Bayda and Baniyas
1st Latakia offensive
Ma'loula
Sadad
5th Rif Dimashq
1st Qalamoun
Adra

v t e Rise of the Islamic State (Jan. – Sept. 2014)
Inter-rebel conflict Northern Aleppo Markada 1st Deir ez-Zor offensive al-Otaiba ambush Maan Hosn Morek 2nd Daraa offensive 2nd Latakia offensive 4th Idlib Gov. Al-Malihah 2nd Wadi Deif 2nd Qalamoun Arsal Deir ez-Zor (2014–2017) 1st Shaer gas field 1st Eastern Syria Tabqa Airbase 3rd Hama offensive 6th Rif Dimashq 1st Quneitra Kobanî

Aleppo escalation and Euphrates Shield (March 2016 – February 2017)

Collapse of the Islamic State in Syria (Feb. – Nov. 2017)

Rebels in retreat and Operation Olive Branch
(Nov. 2017 – Sep. 2018)

v t e Idlib demilitarization (Sep. 2018 – April 2019)
Idlib demilitarization 5th Idlib inter-rebel conflict Sep. 2018 missile strikes Iranian Eastern Euphrates strike Northern border clashes Daraa insurgency Manbij bombing Baghuz Fawqani U.S. airstrike

v t e First Idlib offensive, Operation Peace Spring, & Second Idlib offensive (April 2019 – March 2020)
4th Northwestern Tell Rifaat Raqqa & Azaz Hass 2nd Israeli missile strikes Peace Spring (2nd Ras al-Ayn) Kayla Mueller Northern bombings 3rd Israeli missile strikes Qah 5th Northwestern Balyun Spring Shield 2nd U.S. missile strikes 10th Daraa

Idlib ceasefire (March 2020 – present)

February 2024 airstrikes

Lebanon spillover

Jordanian–Syrian border incidents

Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line
- February 2018 incident
- May 2018 incident

Iraqi–Syrian border incidents

Spillover in Iran
- 2017 Tehran attacks
- 2017 Deir ez-Zor missile strike
- 2024 Iranian airstrikes in Syria

Spillover in Turkey

Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict

Spillover in Europe

Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war

Foreign intervention on behalf of Syrian Arab Republic

Russian involvement
- 2015 military intervention
Iranian intervention
- 2017 missile strike
- Iran–Israel conflict
2012 Hezbollah involvement

Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels

U.S.-led intervention against ISIL

U.S.-led Intervention
- Timeline
- List of attacks
- 2014 rescue operation
- May 2015 raid
- 2017 missile strikes
Qatari involvement
Jordanian intervention
- Operation Martyr Muath
Lebanon's role
Saudi involvement
- April 2018 missile strikes
Dutch involvement
German intervention
French intervention
Australian intervention
t
e

Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war

Foreign intervention on behalf of Syrian Arab Republic

Russian involvement

2015 military intervention

Iranian intervention

2012 Hezbollah involvement

Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels

U.S.-led intervention against ISIL

U.S.-led Intervention
- Timeline
- List of attacks
- 2014 rescue operation
- May 2015 raid
- 2017 missile strikes
Qatari involvement
Jordanian intervention
- Operation Martyr Muath
Lebanon's role
Saudi involvement
- April 2018 missile strikes
Dutch involvement
German intervention
French intervention
Australian intervention
UK intervention

The Al-Tanf offensive was a two-day offensive launched by the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), aiming to recapture al-Tanf, Syria. Al-Tanf had been captured by ISIL from the Syrian Government in May 2015 and had been used by ISIL to shift militants and resources across the border.^[3]

On 3 March 2016, Syrian rebels took the offensive to capture al-Tanf, and after several hours of fighting captured the border post.[4]^[5]

ISIL counter-attacked several hours later, and recapturing the post.^[6] Fighting continued until the next day, in which the rebels repelled ISIL fighters and recaptured the post.^[7]

References

^ "CIA Funded and SOF Trained: The New Syrian Army Hits the Ground". Sofrep. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
^ "New Syrian Army will 'liberate eastern Syria' from IS". The New Arab. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
^ "Syrian rebels seize Iraq border crossing from Islamic State: monitor". Reuters. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
^ Konjunktion (10 March 2016). "Wenn im Westen aus IS-Terroristen plötzlich wieder "Rebellen" werden". Neopresse - Unabhängige Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 1 October 2017.
^ "Syrian rebels seize Iraq border crossing from ISIS". Al Arabiya. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
^ "The "Islamic State" regain control of the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq, hours after losing control of it". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
^ "Syria Rebels take border crossing from IS". Business Insider. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2017.

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