Al-Tabqa During the Control of the “Free Syrian Army” and Jabhat al-Nusra

Stories from the series Returning from Death, collected by ASO News Network, show the tragedy of civilians who suffered pain during the period of ISIS rule, realistic novels and stories that express the extent of terrorism and extremism in affecting the structure of society.

“Back from death”

A series of testimonies from the heart of the tragedy… Civilians who died under ISIS rule in North-East Syria

A series of special reports produced by the ASO News Network, published for the first time consecutively, highlighting the terrible violations that the city of Tabqa witnessed during the period of ISIS control.

Horrific stories from eyewitnesses who lived through the terrorist organization’s nightmare, where families were subjected to the harshest types of physical and psychological torture; From humiliating punishments that waste human dignity, to dark prisons from which only a few emerge alive, and ending with the destruction of schools and turning them into death factories.

We share with you these living testimonies to highlight the extent of the suffering and pain, and to present a true picture of what happened during that dark period.
All rights reserved to ASO News Network
Northeast Syria 2024

From Al-Tapqa written by: Hassan Al-Ahmad

The city of Al-Tabqa is located on the banks of Lake Euphrates, which was created as a workers’ city in early 1970. Many workers from various Syrian provinces, religions, and ethnicities flocked to the city, turning it into a mosaic of Syria due to its diversity. The city witnessed peaceful coexistence among its different components, religions, and ethnicities.

Religious centers were spread throughout the city, including the Fatima al-Zahra Mosque for the Shiite community, churches for Christians of different denominations, and places of worship for Ismailis and Alawites, as well as Sunni mosques. Additionally, Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, and Turkmens resided in the city.

The situation in Al-Tabqa changed dramatically after 2012, as the armed conflict between the Syrian government and opposition factions escalated. Systematic assassinations targeted members of various communities, including Alawites, Ismailis, and the Murashidy. Families from these communities began leaving the city in increasing numbers. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Jabhat al-Nusra entered the village section of Al-Tabqa as Syrian government forces withdrew, remaining only in the residential districts and the military airport. Jabhat al-Nusra turned the Fatima al-Zahra Mosque into a prison, court, and headquarters, which was later targeted by Syrian government airstrikes. Other factions, such as “Owais al-Qarni,” “Ahrar al-Tabqa,” and “Katibat al-Izza Lillah,” were also present in the city. Eventually, the FSA and Jabhat al-Nusra took full control of the city, including the residential areas, the Euphrates Dam, the hospital, and the broadcasting battalion on February 12, 2013, forcing the Syrian government forces to retreat into the military airport south of the city.

The living conditions in Al-Tabqa deteriorated due to some factions taking over service institutions, looting them, or converting them into military bases. Schools were shut down, and security conditions worsened due to the uncontrolled spread of weapons and internal conflicts among armed factions over resources, particularly the oil and gas wells in the Al-Thawra field, 40 km south of Al-Tabqa.

Jabhat al-Nusra emerged as the most powerful faction militarily due to its possession of advanced and heavy weaponry, such as artillery and tanks captured from battles with government forces. Additionally, it had foreign fighters from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan who had undergone ideological and military training in special camps. The group also had suicide squads, which gave it an upper hand in the region. Moreover, many jihadists and senior Al-Qaeda leaders released from the notorious Sednaya prison joined Jabhat al-Nusra.

The Conflict Between Free Syrian Army Factions and ISIS
With the emergence of the so-called “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) and its allegiance by some Free Syrian Army brigades in Deir Al-Zour and Raqqa, the phenomenon spread to Al-Tabqa, where some factions pledged allegiance to ISIS, mostly those comprising foreign fighters. However, other factions, mainly from the local population, refused to pledge allegiance. ISIS began organizing its ranks in school buildings, including Al-Orouba, Ibn Zaydun, Ibn Sina, the Industrial School, and the School Health Center.

In early 2014, following the assassination of a Jabhat al-Nusra leader in Al-Tabqa, ISIS members were accused of the act, leading to skirmishes between the two groups. However, the clashes soon subsided as ISIS planned to take full control of the city and expel the remaining factions.

On January 12, 2014, a major confrontation erupted between ISIS and the other factions. Due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the other factions (more than 3,000 fighters) compared to ISIS (fewer than 100 fighters), ISIS was besieged in the previously mentioned schools.

Some Free Syrian Army factions withdrew from the fight, while others continued. However, within days, ISIS managed to break the siege and chase down the remaining factions across the city. Eyewitnesses reported that ISIS fighters would chain themselves together and walk barefoot to intimidate their opponents, demonstrating their ruthlessness. They eventually trapped the last group of rival fighters in the tower building in the third district, threatening to execute them and blow up the entire building. After negotiations, the besieged fighters withdrew—some fled to northern Aleppo-controlled FSA areas, while others had to undergo “repentance” procedures to avoid being labeled apostates or infidels. Those who refused were executed on January 18, 2014.

ISIS Control Over Al-Tabqa
Following these events, Al-Tabqa entered its darkest era. ISIS established security apparatuses to track and arrest those who disobeyed its rules. It formed the “Hisbah” police, which arrested and imprisoned men, women, and children for various charges. Sharia courts issued execution, beheading, and amputation sentences, shocking the city’s residents, who had never before witnessed such brutality.

For the first time, the people of Al-Tabqa saw severed heads displayed in markets and public squares, amputated limbs, and religious police patrolling the streets to punish smokers, those skipping prayers, or women who revealed their faces, hands, or wore colorful clothing. Men were forced to wear Afghan-style attire.

Fear and terror spread—having certain pictures on one’s phone or keeping a short beard could lead to imprisonment or execution. Some residents managed to escape the city, but many were trapped due to high smuggling costs and ISIS’s placement of landmines along escape routes.

The Liberation of Al-Tabqa and the Residents’ Hardships
Hope returned to the people as ISIS began losing territory, starting with Kobani and continuing with successive defeats. On March 21, 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the International Coalition launched an airborne assault west of Al-Tabqa, in the Abu Huraira area, catching ISIS fighters off guard and shifting the course of battle. Soon after, the military airport southeast of the city was liberated, and the SDF reached the village of Al-Safsafah in the east, completing the city’s encirclement.

The ground assault came from Alexandria district and the southern neighborhoods, while coalition airstrikes targeted ISIS positions. On the ground, exhausted ISIS fighters, abandoned without food, water, or ammunition, struggled to resist.

The siege led to severe humanitarian conditions for civilians—food, fuel, and bread became scarce, bakeries shut down, and flour ran out. The city entered a phase of extreme hunger, forcing some families to eat moldy bread after wiping it with water. ISIS snipers targeted fleeing civilians, while fighters used civilians as human shields, stationing rocket launchers inside residential areas. Many civilians perished, their bodies left unburied, some hastily buried in public gardens.

After fully securing the village section of Al-Tabqa, ISIS fighters entrenched themselves in the residential districts and near the Euphrates Dam. Following about 14 days of intense battles, ISIS agreed to evacuate through negotiations, relocating to Mansoura and Raqqa under guarantees of avoiding airstrikes. This marked the city’s full liberation on May 10, 2017, after experiencing one of the most brutal and violent periods in its history. Life in Al-Tabqa began anew.