Turkey-backed Militias Capture the Syrian City of Dabiq

Turkey-backed militias have managed to take control of the city of Dabiq in northern Syria from the Islamic State (ISIS). These militias, supported by Turkish air and armored forces, entered Dabiq on Sunday, October 16, and seized control of the city. Dabiq, located north of Aleppo and near the Syrian border with Turkey, holds significant symbolic importance for the Islamic State. In some Sunni hadiths, Dabiq is mentioned as the site of the final battle between 'the army of Islam' and what is referred to in these hadiths as 'the army of disbelief.' The Islamic State (ISIS) has also named its official publication Dabiq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Turkey-backed militias entered Dabiq after ISIS members left the city. The armed group Fastaqim, based in Ankara and supported by Turkey, announced that Dabiq came under their control after a 'heavy battle.' This group stated that after capturing Dabiq, they also took control of several surrounding villages. Turkish military forces and the militias supported by this country have entered Syria since the summer of this year, crossing the Syrian border. These forces are fighting alongside the Islamic State and Kurdish forces. The city of Dabiq is located in a buffer zone between two separate Kurdish regions in northern Syria. Syrian groups supported by Ankara, which include a mix of Turkmen and Syrian Arabs, captured the city of Jarabulus in Syria on August 25, located on the Turkish border and on the western bank of the Euphrates. Turkey's support for the capture of this city by its backed groups came after Ankara warned the Syrian Kurdish armed groups against further advances towards the west of the Euphrates. The area between Jarabulus and Dabiq serves as a buffer zone between two separate Kurdish regions in northern Syria.