The Battle of Baghuz Fawqani was the final major battle fought between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Islamic State during the Syrian Civil War. Aided by US-led coalition airstrikes, artillery, and special forces personnel, the Kurdish and Arab fighters of the SDF captured ISIL's last stronghold in eastern Syria, eradicating their territorial control in the country.
After the Second Battle of Raqqa in October 2017, the Islamic State - deprived of its capital - retreated into Deir ez-Zor Governorate as the Syrian Democratic Forces advanced with the support of American, British, and French close air support and special forces. By 1 February 2019, IS was reduced to four square kilometers of territory, boxed in against the Euphrates river at the town of Baghuz Fawqani. The Syrian Arab Army blocked the river crossings as Iraqi forces were deployed to prevent cross-border infiltrations, forcing ISIL into a "last stand" battle at Baghuz Fawqani. 20,000 civilians fled the enclave within the 10 days preceding the battle, and, on 9 February 2019, the SDF announced the decisive "final battle" against the IS enclave. 15,000 SDF ground troops, backed by Coalition artillery, close air support, and special forces, faced up to 1,000 of ISIL's most committed, battle-hardened jihadist fighters.
Baghuz Fawqani was subjected to heavy preemptive bombardment and constant shelling as the Kurds advanced, and, while IS representatives asked for safe passage out of the pocket and the US said that safe passage to the Idlib Governorate was an offer still on the table, the fighting continued as the SDF swore that it would "fight until the very last minute." Hundreds of civilians streamed out of the city, with IS fighters attempting to escape in women's clothes, as the SDF did not ask women to raise their hijabs while evacuating. While poor visibility such as overcast weather or dust storms benefited IS fighters, the Coalition continued to carry out airstrikes whenever possible, targeting entrenched and fortified IS elements. One airstrike struck a mosque from which IS directed attacks and deployed suicide car bombs against the SDF, wile another strike killed or wounded 70 people who were sheltering on the edge of town.
By 11 February, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated that there were around 3,000 mostly foreign ISIL jihadists remaining in Baghuz, while 600 fighters were still present in the town itself. ISIL blocked the roads, while smugglers demanded thousands of dollars to supply food to the starving people of the town, who were forced to eat grass. Within Baghuz, ISIL executed more than 15 of its own fighters for attempting to surrender, 7 of whom were French nationals. ISIL fighters also shot at their own fleeing wives in hopes of using their families as both human shields and bargaining chips during negotiations. Coalition strikes on the city were toned down as IS brought hundreds of civilian hostages out from tunnels, and, at the end of 15 February, 200 IS fighters surrendered. By 16 February, IS' remaining territory was reduced to 700 square meters.
The SDF issued an ultimatum to the remaining IS fighters calling on them to surrender or die, and, by 20 February, the SDF stated their plan to evacuate ever civilian before storming the remaining 300 IS fighters holed up at the Hawi al-Dandal hamlet. From 10 to 23 February, the Coalition conducted 186 strikes, destroying 285 ISIL tactical units, 189 fighting positions, 50 supply routes, 22 staging areas, 16 boats, 15 vehicles, 6 oil tankers, 6 aircraft operations areas, 6 VBIEDs, four command and control nodes, three weapons caches, three heavy machine guns, three pieces of engineering equipment, two buildings, two tunnels, one cave, one IED production facility, and one oil storage facility. On 18 February, SDF forces discovered a mass grave of Yazidis, with the SDF claiming that they had been executed by gunshots to the head and locals claiming that they had been killed in airstrikes. By 1 March, it was reported that IS was preventing men under 40 from quitting the redoubt in expectation of a final battle, while some evacuated IS brides still proclaimed loyalty to IS and its caliph.
On 1 March, SDF units began to storm the remaining riverside encampments, including a tent city atop a network of caves and tunnels being used by the entrenched jihadists. Heavy fighting ensued, and the Coalition increased its air presence to support the SDF's advances. A continued civilian presence in Baghuz continued to slow the SDF's general advance, as the SDF refused to press the attack as long as IS used civilians as human shields. On 4 March, 500 more people surrendered, including 150 IS militants. On 5 March, another 3,000 people fled. On 6 March, the SDF captured 400 IS militants overnight, and, by 10 March, IS flags were still seen flying over the besieged tent city. Exhausted IS militants, women, and children continued milling about without surrendering, and, on the night of 10 March, the SDF launched their third assault on Baghuz. From 18 to 19 March, hundreds of wounded, surrendering IS militants were taken into custody, and the SDF took control of all Baghuz Fawqani apart from a few pockets of resistance along the river. On 23 March, the SDF claimed final victory over IS in a victory ceremony at the al-Omar oil field. Baghdadi later claimed that the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings were revenge for the fall of Baghuz. By March 2021, Baghuz continued to lack electricity and running water, and most residents were reluctant to return, fearing attacks by IS remnants or a lack of job opportunities.