Syrian rebels seize Dabiq from Daesh

Members of Free Syrian Army attack Daesh terrorists during the “Operation Euphrates Shield” in Dabiq town, the south of Al-Rai (Cobanbey) District of Aleppo, Syria on October 11, 2016

Syrian rebels backed by Turkey captured the symbolically important village of Dabiq in northwestern Syria from Daesh early on Sunday after clashes, Ahmed Osman, head of the Sultan Murad rebel group and a war monitor said.

According to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Daesh had stationed around 1,200 of its fighters there, while Turkish state media reported that the Turkish military had struck Daesh targets around the area in attacks that also included aerial bombardment.

The rebels also captured Dabiq’s neighbouring village of Soran, Osman and SOHR said.

Dabiq is symbolically important to the militant group because they believe it is the site of an Islamic prophecy that will see a battle to destroy the “Roman” enemies of Islam. A related area, Amaq, is also mentioned, and these two areas serve as the names for Daesh’s media products and news agencies.

The Turkish-backed rebel groups will now likely attempt to seize Al-Bab, 30 kilometres northeast of the besieged opposition-held eastern districts of Aleppo.

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