The US-led coalition has intensified its air and missile strikes on the remaining ISIS positions in the middle Euphrates River Valley, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on December 29.
“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is trying to achieve more advance within the [ISIS-held] pocket in order to besiege the group in a narrower area,” the UK-based monitoring group added in its report.
A day earlier, Kurdish sources claimed that the SDF liberated the towns of Hajin, Buhasan, al-Shafah, Kashmah, al-Qahadi, al-Nafilah, Abu Marih and Baghuz Tahtani in the Euphrates Valley. However, clashes are still ongoing in some of these towns.
Click to see full-size map
Click to see full-size map
According to the SOHR, the US-led coalition and the SDF have killed more than 1,050 fighters and commanders of ISIS since the beginning of their final military operations in the Euphrates Valley earlier this year. Hundreds of other fighters have reportedly fled the region leaving only a few to fight until the death.
Where do they ‘flee’ to?!
After the experience of various bands of Wahabi terrorists who have been used and abused by the US Coalition of Terror in Syria, it will be surprising if ANY mercenary and dissident groups acting in the interests of the US , will ever trust the US again :)
The Blowback from those who feel betrayed will also be perfect KARMA. :)
IMO, mercenaries will swallow their pride in exchange for hard cash. Their forgiveness can be bought easily.
It would be just like US foreign policy to have all their loose ends in one place, to then mop up before heading for home and declare a victory over ISIS. 24 months ago the US regarded these very terrorists as brave freedom fighters overthrowing a ‘regime’, but now they are plain old terrorists again.
Nothing is really new in this world. Al Jazeera have a documentary series:- The Crusades, an Arab perspective.
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/the-crusades-an-arab-perspective/2016/12/shock-crusade-conquest-jerusalem-161205081421743.html
They are very interesting to watch and an insight that many in the West may be unaware of.
Including me :)
“…According to the SOHR, the US-led coalition and the SDF have killed more than 1,050 fighters and commanders of ISIS since the beginning of their final military operations in the Euphrates Valley earlier this year…”
Bullshit. CENTCOM said there were 3,500 head-choppers in that pocket – where are the bodies and/or prisoners?
No pictures? No prisoners? “Trust us”? It’s f’king CENTCOM and the SDF… why would anyone trust them? They’re about as credible as SOHR. This pocket will be just like Raqqa – plenty of civilian bodies under the rubble and mass graves, but there will curiously be no head-chopper bodies to be found. I have no idea what is really happening with them, but they are not there or the U.S. and SDF are NOT killing them. It’s some kind of deranged theater of civilian slaughter and destruction, with ZERO effect on eliminating ISIS.
Want to kill ISIS? Then send in the Tigers or Shia militias – the most effective anti-ISIS forces in Syria.