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Syrian rebel forces make new advances in Hasakah
QAMISHLI – Western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday made new gains against militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province, on the border with Iraq, military sources reported.Subsequent to fierce clashes, Kurdish-Arab alliance of the SDF drove ISIS militants from 11 villages in southeastern Hasakah. The SDF units have recaptured the villages of Dilan, Simalka, Ballouna, Dabshi, Meshal, Mashwar, Khirba, Givara, Umm Tanak, Umm Bouja and Misherfa –near the Iraqi border. More than 20 ISIS militants were killed in Thursday’s clashes.
“Most of those weapons have been brought by the terrorist group from Iraq to be used against our forces. Today ISIS has lost a new battle against our SDF forces. Our campaign will continue until cleansing Syria’s northern region from ISIS terrorists,” he said. Silo added that the U.S.-led coalition has conducted several airstrikes on ISIS fighting positions in the area, “which facilitated the SDF progress on Thursday”. The SDF, which includes Kurdish, Arab and Christian units, had earlier liberated more than 240 towns and villages from ISIS militants on the border with Iraq, including the key town of al-Hawl which has been for long used by the jihadis as a supply route between Syria and Iraq. The alliance is currently preparing for an extended military operation against the radical group in the city of Shaddadi –the main bastion for ISIS militants in Hasakah province. The SDF units have recently launched a new military campaign in northern Raqqa and Aleppo, and recaptured large territories from ISIS and al-Qaeda-linked groups. Posted by: badanov 2016-02-19 |
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