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The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), led by the Tiger Forces, liberated Deir al-Ghazal village north of Maskanah, and the villages of Aziza, Radda Saghira and Fakhikha south and south-east of the ISIS-held town. Thus, the SAA completely ecnricled ISIS terrorists inside Maskanah.
According to pro-government sources, a majority of the ISIS militants withdrew from the town last Monday and only a small group remained in the town to carry out suicide attacks against advancing government forces.
Separately, the SAA cut off the Maskanah-Tabqah road after the liberation of the villages of Duwayrinah, al-Balisiyah, Um Hajara, Murtada al-Qadima and al-Sharidah in south of Maskanah.
Furthermore, Liwa al-Quds units managed to advance east of the Khansser road and captured the Alam hill. According to unconfirmed reports, Liwa al-Quds forces rached SAA positions in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
From its side, ISIS claimed that it managed to damage a BMP-1 and to destroy a vehicle belonging to the SAA after with ATGMs in Al-Faisaliah village.
The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq also published photos showing clashes between ISIS elements and the SAA in the vicinity of Maslma.
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The SAA is now located in 5 kilometers from the border of Raqqa province, and in only 20 kilometers from the SDF positions in Tabqah town.
ISIS will likely withdraw from the area between the western countryside of Tabqah and the eastern Aleppo countryside in the coming days.
Great :))) they should also stop retreating daesh forces from raqqa trying to go to Palmyra, cut them off and ambush their escape routes!!
“RUN, CHARLIE!”
(With thanks to Apocalypse Now!)
In the end it was the Yankees doing the running.