EXCLUSIVE from Baghouz: ISIS fight stalls amid civilian influx in eastern Syria
SDF fighters on the frontline told Kurdistan 24 that military operations have stalled to prevent civilians, especially children, from becoming casualties of the war.
“We have temporarily stopped the fight because ISIS militants have kept a large number of civilians as human shields,” an SDF fighter explained.
“We are doing our best to avoid harming civilians as there is a large number of them stranded with the militants,” he said.
The militants are holed up in a civilians camp on the outskirts of Baghouz Village. SDF fighters say the civilians there are all family members of Islamic State militants.
Activists also revealed a recent truce had been extended for another five days as of Sunday.
A person familiar with ongoing deliberations told the Associated Press that the jihadist group has asked for an exit path to the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib, demanding to be allowed to leave with the civilians.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to officially discuss the talks, which he mentioned are taking place indirectly.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that monitors the civil war in Syria, also claimed a request by the Islamic State to be evacuated to neighboring Iraq was rejected.
ISIS MILITARY FALL
Earlier this week, the General Commander of the SDF Operation to Eliminate ISIS in Eastern Syria confirmed the fall of the extremist group in the East Euphrates Valley and said victory would be declared in the coming days.
“Da’esh [ISIS] has fallen militarily, and their militants are under fire from our fighters in a small area of about 600 square meters,” Chiya Firat, the General Commander of the operation, told reporters at the Omar Oil Field SDF military base in the Deir al-Zor governorate.
Nevertheless, the fighting continues, and the remaining militants are fiercely resisting but unable to launch counter-attacks as they used to before.
“Daesh militants are not as numerous, but the fighting continues,” an SDF fighter told Kurdistan 24.
“It’s not heavy fighting, but Daesh militants are there and hiding among the civilians,” he further added.