Operation Euphrates Shield

Overview

Operation Euphrates Shield was an offensive by the Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, which led to the Turkish occupation of northern Syria. Operations were carried out in the region between the Euphrates river to the east and the rebel-held area around Azaz to the west. The Turkish military and Turkey-aligned Syrian rebel groups, some of which used the Free Syrian Army label, fought against the forces of the Islamic State (IS) as well as against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from 24 August 2016. On 29 March 2017, the Turkish military officially announced that Operation Euphrates Shield was "successfully completed".

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Euphrates Shield marked Turkey's first large-scale direct military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, deploying Turkish Armed Forces alongside Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army factions into northern Syria. The operation established a Turkish-occupied zone in the area between the Euphrates River to the east and the rebel-held region around Azaz to the west. Turkey fought on two fronts simultaneously, engaging Islamic State forces while also contesting the Syrian Democratic Forces, reflecting Ankara's dual objective of degrading IS and limiting Kurdish territorial consolidation along its southern border. The operation concluded on 29 March 2017 when the Turkish military officially declared it successfully completed, cementing a lasting Turkish military footprint in northern Syria and setting a precedent for subsequent Turkish cross-border operations in the conflict.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (7)