Syrian troops break into last IS-held town
BEIRUT: Syrian troops and allied militiamen entered the jihadist-held town of Albu Kamal on Wednesday, state media said, edging closer to ousting the Islamic State group from its last urban stronghold in the country.
Albu Kamal lies on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq, in the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor.
Entry to Albu Kamal follows a series of stunningly quick defeats for IS in the province as well as the jihadists’ loss of their de facto capital Raqa further north.
“Army troops and allied forces broke through Daesh (IS) defences and entered Albu Kamal, waging fierce battles inside the town,” state news agency SANA reported.
It said the fi ghting would pave the way for Syrian troops to regain full control of the border town, just hours after they and pro-regime fighters surrounded IS fighters there.
Syrian regime forces, backed by intensive Russian air strikes, have steadily advanced on Albu Kamal from the south and west for weeks.
And Iraqi forces have closed in on the border area from the east, seizing the town of Al- Qaim from the jihadists last week.
“The advance towards Albu Kamal came after army troops and their allies met up with Iraqi forces at the border between the two countries,” SANA said.
A source from militias allied to Damascus told AFP that fighters from Lebanon’s proregime Hezbollah movement had advanced to the southern edges of Albu Kamal on Wednesday.
“Part of those units crossed into Iraq, with the help of Hashed alShaabi units, to circle around Albu Kamal and reach the northern side of the town,” the source added.
The Hashed al- Shaabi paramilitary alliance has denied that its own forces entered Syria on Wednesday as part of the fight. — AFP