Isis resorting to human shields as last stand looms
The offensive on the last enclave held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria has been blunted by the discovery of hundreds of civilians still living there, a commander with the Kurdish-led force fighting the extremists says.
The United States-backed force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched the offensive to liberate the Isis-held village of Baghouz a week ago, after more than 20,000 civilians, many of them foreign wives of Isis militants, were evacuated through a corridor from the area in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour.
Adnan Afrin, the Kurdish commander, said that in the last three days Isis militants had brought up hundreds of civilians from underground tunnels to make the SDF and US-led coalition aware of their presence.
He estimated that around 1000 civilians, including women and children, were still in the area. He said the militants were hiding among them and using them as human shields.
‘‘This was a surprise. We did not imagine there would be this number of civilians left.’’
Afrin said they were likely to be the families of Isis militants, but their discovery had nonetheless blunted the offensive. ‘‘We do not want to cause a massacre against civilians in the last (Isis) pocket.’’
A blitz of air strikes and shelling last week was believed to signal the end of the campaign against Isis in its last toehold in Syria.
Thousands of people, including many foreign fighters and their families, emerged from the area amid ferocious fighting as the SDF closed in from three sides under the cover of air strikes by the coalition.
The militants are now clinging to their last square kilometre of land in Baghouz. The anticipated declaration of victory against the group, however, has been delayed by the discovery of a large number of civilians in the area.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported yesterday that a convoy of seven trucks, three ambulances and other vehicles from the coalition was headed toward the Isis-held area. The group believed the aim was to draw out the remaining Isis gunmen and their families, though it was not clear if they would agree to surrender.
Hundreds of Isis fighters have surrendered over the past weeks, and were apprehended by members of the coalition and SDF fighters.
US-backed forces were now conducting precision operations targeting the militants’ outposts in and around Baghouz and working to clear surrounding villages of remaining fighters, SDF officials said. –AP