Syria tightens noose on Daesh in Al Koum city

beirut — The Syrian army and its allies advanced in the central Syrian desert on Monday and could soon encircle Daesh pocket, part of a multi-pronged thrust into eastern areas held by the militant group.

A Syrian military source said the Syrian army and its allies had taken a number of villages around the town of Al Koum in northeastern Homs province.

This leaves a gap held by Daesh of around only 25 kilometre between Al Koum and the town of Al Sukhna to its south, which was taken by the Syrian government on Saturday.

If the army, supported by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, closes this gap they will encircle Daesh fighters to their west in an area of land around 8,000 kilometres square, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that it had contributed to this advance by advising on an airborne landing of pro-government troops north of Al Koum on Saturday.

The operation allowed them to take the Al Qadeer area from Daesh militants before proceeding to Al Koum, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.

Daesh has lost swathes of Syrian territory to separate campaigns being waged by Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, and by the United Statesbacked Syrian Democratic (SDF) Forces, which is dominated by the Kurdish YPG militia.

The SDF is currently focused on capturing Raqa city from Daesh.

Syrian government forces advancing from the west have recently crossed into Deir Al Zor province from southern areas of Raqa province. —