The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have liberated the key village of Bukhatir south of the town of Hajin in the middle Euphrates River Valley following heavy clashes with ISIS, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on December 25.
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The press center of the SDF has not confirmed the SOHR’s claims yet. However, it said a day later that SDF fighters advanced around Hajin with support from the US-led coalition, whose warplanes conducted 143 airstrikes on ISIS forces.
The airstrikes of the US-led coalition and SDF fighters killed more than 236 fighters of ISIS in the last 24 hours, according to the press center.
“The group is in its final throes,” the SOHR said in its report citing local sources.
The UK-based monitoring group revealed that 5,200 civilians and 300 terrorist have fled the ISIS-held pocket in the Euphrates valley since the beginning of this month. This information and the rapid advance of SDF fighters indicate that the remaining positions of the terrorist group may indeed collapse within a few days.
Going out with a bang. They’ll have stories to tell their grandkids.
We’ve heard all this crap before. Give it about a week and Daesh will have miraculously recaptured all the areas they had previously lost
After a year of chasing ISIS shadows the US seems anxious to kill all those left behind after their helicopter extractions. Those ISIS who are dispensable and know too much I suppose.
Appears ISIS back was broken at Hajin. The last town held in this pocket.
And to you as well. 2019 will bring great change I suspect that cannot please everyone.
A river crossing by SAA wherever near Abu Kamal, would let the Kurds know Syria is coming for its oil and gas fields, and take any temptation away from the Turks who may want to drive south after breaking through Kurdish lines on their threatened offensive.