Geolocating Islamic State in Yemen (ISIS-Y) Sites in Hamat Baqr, Al-Zaharah Valley, Al-Qurayshiyah District, Al-Bayda Governorate
On August 5, 2019, an Islamic in State in Yemen (ISIS-Y) anti-aircraft (AA) gun team attacked Houthi positions in Hamat Baqr, a small town in the northwestern al-Zaharah valley area of al-Bayda governorate. ISIS-Y fighters employed a ZPU-1 AA gun in the operation. On August 8th, a separate ISIS-Y mortar team shelled the same Houthi positions, using a ML 3-Inch Mortar. Five months later, ISIS-Y fighters mounted a nighttime ground attack against Houthi positions at Hamat Baqr, torching Houthi vehicles and looting their supplies. This article will discuss how to geolocate 2019 and 2020 ISIS-Y sites around Hamat Baqr, which has been described as an area (منطقة) and a hill (تبة).
Hamat Baqr is located in the al-Zaharah valley, a largely uncharted area in the northern part of al-Bayda’s al-Qurayshiyah district (green).
Al-Zaharah does not appear accurately on any maps, and its most recent information comes from ISIS-Y propaganda releases about their military operations in the area. The region is a sparsely populated and remote area. Its size is approximately 25–40 square kilometers, consisting of several large and small valleys.
ISIS-Y has previously claimed that Hamat Baqr was near al-Zaharah and the Qayfa region (see orange area in the previous map) in northwestern al-Bayda. A 2019 statement from the ISIS emir in al-Bayda has also referenced Hamat Baqr alongside Tibbat Sufian, another location that was recently geolocated.
Map & Coordinates
- AUG 2019 ISIS Mortar Team (#1, Black Square, Red Polygon): 14.627552777777778, 44.84636666666667
- AUG 2019 ISIS Cameraman/Spotter (#1A & #2A, Black Square, Red Polygon): 14.624130555555556, 44.84578055555556
- AUG 2019 ISIS ZPU-1 Anti-Aircraft (AA) Gun Zone (#2, Black Square, Red Polygon): 14.623761111111111, 44.845683333333334
- Houthi Site at Hamat Baqr (#1A & #2A, Red Pin, Orange Polygon): 14.62355, 44.851958333333336
- Hamat Baqr Wikimapia entry: https://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=14.623669&lon=44.851588&z=17&m=w&show=/39956837/Hamat-Baqr-(حمة-بقر)&search=14.623672222222222%2C%2044.851591666666664
- JAN 2020 ISIS Ground Attack (Black Square, Orange Polygon): 14.623672222222222, 44.851591666666664
Geolocation Process
1. Find ISIS-Y photosets, videos, and statements related to Hamat Baqr and other nearby areas in the al-Zaharah valley.
~2016: It is likely that the Houthi forces made an outpost on the previously inhabited hill to monitor and deter ISIS-Y and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) activities in the area. Later ISIS-Y may have referred to this hill as Hamat Baqr. Satellite photos between 2015 and 2018 highlight the outpost’s appearance.
August 5, 2019: ISIS-Y fighters claim that they attacked a Houthi site in Hamat Baqr with a ZPU-1 anti-aircraft (AA) gun mounted on an unknown technical.
Photo descriptions: The 2019 ISIS photosets display a serpentine road leading up to a town that is situated on top of a hill. To the right of that hill, there is a smaller hill. The ISIS cameraman/spotter’s perspective of this location indicates that he was in front of the smaller hill because it covered up most of his view of the larger hill. Both hills were also sloping downwards towards the bottom left corner of the cameraman’s view.
August 8, 2019: ISIS-Y fighters claim they attacked a Houthi site at Hamat Baqr with a ML 3-Inch Mortar.
Photo Descriptions: The 2019 ISIS photosets show that the militants were in a valley area with larger hills to the west and east. They were using a mortar that has the maximum range of 1.5 kilometers (km). Facing southeast, ISIS militants appear to have calibrated the mortar using 1) a military compass at an assessed 128–130 degree azimuth and 2) a quadrant with assessed 64 degree elevation. According to the photosets, three mortar shells were fired ( 2x M72 High Explosive (HE), 1x HE 70 Long Distance (LD)) at the Houthi site at Hamat Baqr. Based on these assessments and a related mortar firing table, each shell had an extra propelling charge. Available images show that the target was the hilltop, but the shell felt short. It is unclear whether the mortar caused damage.
January 21, 2020: ISIS-Y fighters claim that they mounted a nighttime ground attack against a Houthi site at Hamat Baqr. They torched the barracks, a BMP-2 armored vehicle, and a “4-wheeler” vehicle. ISIS also looted some supplies and military equipment, including one operational KPV heavy machine gun with a tripod and one Toyota Land Cruiser truck. There were no reports on the number of Houthi forces at Hamat Baqr, but ISIS likely used 10+ militants. There were no confirmed casualties from either side.
Photo Descriptions: The 2020 video of the ISIS nighttime ground raid shows two points of attack against Hamat Baqr. The support team provided suppressive fire from the west (likely relying on this previous observation post) while the assault team attacked Hamat Baqr on foot. See “Geolocation Chart 2” in Step 3 for more information about this operation.
2. Analyze how these locations relate to known ISIS patrol zones and develop a relative location for Hamat Baqr.
For instance, ISIS had used AA guns to attack several other Houthi sites in al-Zaharah over the last six months. These sites were Tibbat al-Shahri, Tibbat Sufian, and Tibbat al-Safah. According to Wikimapia, they were located around the central part of al-Zaharah. This activity pattern suggested two things. First, the Hamat Baqr AA gun may be within the nearby vicnity. Second, ISIS had circumvented Hamat Baqr and had conducted attack and patrol operations in farther northern parts of the valley.
3. Review ISIS photosets and videos for distinct geographic features and objects. Record how they relate to each other in terms of space (above, below, etc.) and direction (north, south, west, east). Develop a theory for the physical layout of the potential ISIS location.
4. Search through different mapping platforms for physical locations that may match the theoretical version of the potential ISIS location.
In Order of Discovery:
- Based on ISIS photosets, the “bumpy” small hills are unique, and only can be found in a small part of al-Zaharah. The Houthi site at Hamat Baqr was found by searching for hills with a serpentine road that sloped downwards towards to the left from a ground perspective.
- The ISIS cameraman/spotter’s position was discovered by scanning for areas that could see the serpentine road on the larger hill as well as part of the smaller hill.
- The ISIS AA gun’s position was uncovered by searching for a nearby view of a western valley with several hills. This vantage point also had to have a larger hill to the east and a northwestern view of the serpentine hilltop road.
- Identifying the ISIS mortar team’s location involved four steps. First, the the capabilities of their compasses, quadrants, and mortars were analyzed. Second, ISIS photoset perspectives of each tool were examined and leveraged to develop estimates for their measurements. Third, a search was conducted for a valley area with larger hills to the west and east. Fourth, a compass was used to ensure the location’s angles lined up with the serpentine hilltop road.
