IS battles for slice of Syrian territory
Islamic State militants are desperately fighting to hang on to the last tiny piece of territory they hold on the riverside in eastern Syria, deploying snipers, guided missiles and surprise tunnel attacks.
The resistance prompted a fierce pounding yesterday by the US-led coalition and its ground allies in their final push to end the extremist group’s territorial hold.
Rings of black smoke billowed over the besieged speck of land still controlled by the group in the village of Baghouz, after airstrikes hit several targets.
Mortar rounds from a hill overlooking a tent encampment where the militants are still holed up rang into the night.
The US-backed force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces resumed an offensive to recapture the area in Baghouz on Saturday, after a two-week pause to allow for the evacuation of civilians from the area. Retaking the sliver of land would be a milestone in the devastating four-year campaign to end IS’ selfproclaimed Islamic caliphate that once straddled vast territory across Syria and Iraq.
The group continues to be a threat, however, with sleeper cells in scattered desert pockets along the porous border between the two countries.
SDF commanders estimate that hundreds of fighters remain in Baghouz, taking cover in tunnels and trenches.
A senior SDF commander described the militants as ‘‘rats’’ but acknowledged that they’re still fighting to the bitter end.
Commander Akeed, who leads one of the main fronts in the last battle against IS, said the militants are sticking to their trademark techniques, carrying out swift attacks without aiming to hold ground but laying the area with mines to increase casualties. They also deploy ‘‘inghimasiyoun,’’ a term that the group uses to refer to infiltrators who enter areas behind their enemies’ lines, in a bid to take hostages.
Early yesterday, one of Akeed’s units came under attack from a group of 10 IS militants, including four women who emerged from a tunnel but were met with fire. At least two militants died but the rest escaped, he said.
‘‘They have said they will engage and won’t leave,’’ Akeed told The Associated Press from his position, hundreds of meters from a very noisy front line. ‘‘They are strong enemies but they are besieged from three fronts. What could they do? Attack to prove themselves.’’
What appears to be a major weapons depot was targeted on Sunday in the opening salvo of a ground assault on the tent encampment and parts of the villages still in IS hands. Yesterday, airstrikes continued to hit the depot, as fire raged for more than 24 hours and ignited ammunition flew in the air.
–AP