The Al-Tanf offensive was a two-day offensive launched by the

Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA; ) is a Big tent, big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition (2011–2024), Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defe ...

backed by the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

-led

Coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...

against the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...

(ISIL), aiming to recapture al-Tanf, Syria. Al-Tanf had been captured by ISIL from the

Syrian Government The government of Syria takes place in a presidential system and is currently in a transitionary period under and led by a transitional government. The seat of the government is located in Damascus, Syria. On 8 December 2024, after the succ ...

in May 2015 and had been used by ISIL to shift militants and resources across the border. On 3 March 2016, Syrian rebels took the offensive to capture al-Tanf, and after several hours of fighting captured the border post. ISIL counter-attacked several hours later, and recapturing the post. Fighting continued until the next day, in which the rebels repelled ISIL fighters and recaptured the post.

References

{{reflist Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2016 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Free Syrian Army Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the United States Conflicts in 2016 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Homs Governorate in the Syrian civil war Battles in 2016