Al-Baggara

Al-Baggara or Bakara (Arabic: البقّارة (البكّارة), al-Baqqārah or al-Bakkārah) is an Arab tribe of the Euphrates tribes spread widely between Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. The tribe was named by the name of their ancestor, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, one of the grandsons of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Baggara tribespeople in Syria mainly live west of Deir al-Zour city, ranging from the northern banks of the Euphrates to the Raqqa provincial border, in villages from Al-Husseiniyah to Mahamidah, where the Baggara's chiefdom family lives, to al-Kasrat, al-Kubar/Jazrat al-Boshams, and Jazra Al-Milaj, spanning a distance of some 80 km. East of Deir al-Zour, the Baggara live in smaller numbers in the villages of Meratt, Khusham, and Jadid Baggara; sources suggest a total of approximately 100,000 Baggara live in these areas east and west of the city. Although accurate figures are not available, a large number of people of Baggara lineage have integrated into Deir al-Zour city, some say a full one-third of the city's residents have roots in the tribe, Prominent Baggara families there are Fadel Al-Aboud, Al-Ayesh, Al-Ayyash, where they had a major role in the political leadership of the city of Deir al-Zour. Other regions where the Baggara lives include Hasaka province, in an area known as Baggara Al-Jabal (Baggara Mountain), Raqqa the city of Aleppo and other northern towns, and Idlib. Some reports indicate that their number in Syria is around 1.2 million.