According to
the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a month before the battle's beginning a large number of ISIL
sleeper agents disguised as civilians and
SDF or YPG fighters entered Tell Abyad. Most of them were so-called "
Caliphate Cubs" or ISIL units of
child soldiers. over a hundred
Islamic State militants attacked the
YPG controlled town of
Tell Abyad (Gire Spi in
Kurdish), a key crossing along the Syrian-Turkish border, just hours after a general ceasefire in Syria took effect. According to YPG military spokesperson Redur Xelil, the attack was not to re-take Tal Abyad but to cut the Kurdish Cantons in half and do as much damage possible, reminiscent to the
Kobanî massacre. Other YPG sources claimed that Turkey had supplied ISIL fighters with both modern western equipment and information. As ISIL overran large parts of the city, they also encircled a YPG headquarters near the Syrian-Turkish borders, where they captured Khaled Daham al Bashir. Khaled, who had fought ISIL with the
Free Syrian Army in Deir ez-Zor before, was the cousin of Raghib al Bashir, head of al-Baqara tribe in the
Deir ez-Zor Governorate. After his capture, he and three other SDF fighters were executed, with images of his beheading being posted by ISIL on his personal Facebook account. The SOHR gave a differing death toll, in which 140 ISIS fighters died attacking the town along with 47 YPG and 15 civilians. that successfully reclaimed, with little resistance, open ISIL territory, hamlets and villages in southeastern
Tell Abyad District, northern
Deir ez-Zor District and western
Al-Hasakah District. The two-pronged operation concluded sometime after SDF forces converged at Muqman in
Deir ez-Zor District in 8 March, moving the Kurdish frontline closer towards the
Islamic State stronghold of
Raqqa and the ISIS-controlled city of
Deir ez-Zor. == References ==