 On the ISIL side there were many Sunni Iranians, including Kurds, who played an important role in the battle.The battle started on 21 March 2014, with fighting near Markada's grain silos that left 27 al-Nusra Front fighters dead and others missing.On the morning of 27 March, ISIL attacked the town, which was being held by the al-Nusra Front.