Euphrates Volcano

Euphrates Volcano (Arabic: بُرْكَان الْفُرَات, romanized: Burkān al-Furāt) was a joint operations room/coalition established during the Syrian Civil War. It mainly consisted of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and certain factions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA). The group fought to expel the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from Aleppo and Raqqa provinces.^[1] In an October 2015 publication, the Washington D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War considered Euphrates Volcano as one of the "powerbrokers" in Aleppo Province, being primarily "anti-ISIS" but not necessarily "anti-regime".^[8]

Euphrates Volcano^[1]
بركان الفرات Burkān al-Furāt
The emblem is a shield with the flags of the FSA and YPG on either side of the Euphrates river, with a volcano surrounded by a sun in the background
Dates of operation	10 September 2014^[2] – 10 October 2015^[3]
Group(s)	People's Protection Units Women's Protection Units Raqqa Revolutionaries' Brigade Jarabulus Company Retribution Army Army of Revolutionaries Northern Sun Battalion Kurdish Front Liberation Brigade Jihad in the Path of God Brigade Tawhid Brigades^[4]
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate and Raqqa Governorate^[1]
Allies	Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve International Freedom Battalion Syriac Military Council Al-Sanadid Forces
Opponents	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant^[1]
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Siege of Kobanî^[5] Battle of Sarrin (March–April 2015) Tell Abyad offensive (2015)^[6] Battle of Sarrin (June–July 2015) Kobanî massacre
Succeeded by Syrian Democratic Forces^[7] (October 2015)

History

In September 2014, several Free Syrian Army groups released a video addressing the Siege of Kobani in which they issued a joint statement pledging to defend the city from ISIS and asking for aid from western countries to do so. The Wall Street Journal noted that the flag of the YPG featured prominently in the video, indicating the possibility of YPG cooperation with the FSA.^[9]

This was proved true later that year, when YPG member started to train FSA members, eventually leading to the establishment of the Euphrates Volcano, which deepened the alliance between the PYD and Kobani FSA. ^[10][11]

The capture of Tell Abyad from ISIL in July 2015 was a major success of the Euphrates Volcano operations room.^[12][13]

On 10 October 2015, the Euphrates Volcano was one of the founding members of the Syrian Democratic Forces.^[14] Soon after the formation of the SDF, the Euphrates Volcano was superseded by various other groups and military councils within the SDF.^[3] It was one of the few operations rooms which had been set up by non-government forces during the civil war that were able to transform into a "semi-stable" alliance.^[15]

See also

• Euphrates Islamic Liberation Front
• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

References

1. Bizar, Redwan (12 September 2014). . ARA News. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
2. Ali, Jan (13 September 2014). . ARA News. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
3. . 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
4. Steele, Jonathan (12 February 2015). "Syrian Kurdish leader hails 'Euphrates Volcano' fight against IS". Middle East Eye. from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
5. Bizar, Redwan (26 October 2014). . ARA News. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
6. Sly, Liz (13 June 2015). "Kurdish-Syrian force advances on key border town held by Islamic State". Washington Post. from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
7. "U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces emerges as force against ISIS". Toronto Star. Associated Press. 2 December 2015. from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
8. Jennifer Cafarella; Genevieve Casagrande (7 October 2015). "Syrian Opposition Guide" (PDF). Backgrounder. Institute for the Study of War. p. 3. (PDF) from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
9. Who Are Syria's Moderate Rebels? Good Question., from the original on 2014-12-05, retrieved 2021-09-22
10. Zaman, Amberin (16 September 2014). "Islamic State helping the PKK to gain global legitimacy". Al Monitor. from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
11. Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (21 November 2014). "The Factions of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab)". Syria Comment. from the original on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
12. Bizar, Redwan (8 June 2015). . ARA News. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015. "Our campaign will not stop until liberating Tell Abyad and expelling Islamic State terrorists out of the area," Darwish said.
13. "How Islamic State Victories Shape the Syrian Civil War". Stratfor. 2 June 2015. from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015. Over the past week, the Euphrates Volcano outfit, which is affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, openly targeted the Islamic State-held town of Tal Abyad in northern Raqaa province.
14. . Archived from the original on 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
15. The Future of ISIS: Regional and International Implications. Brookings Institution. 26 June 2018. p. 97. ISBN 9780815732174. from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2018.

External links