Almost 700 new prisoner deaths added to list of ISIS atrocities

ISIS has executed nearly 700 prisoners in almost two months in eastern Syria, a war monitor said yesterday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the prisoners were among 1,350 civilians and fighters ISIS held in a shrinking strip of land east of the Euphrates River around the town of Hajin, which USbacked forces entered this month. Yesterday’s report comes nearly a week after seven mass graves containing hundreds of unidentified bodies were unearthed near the former ISIS stronghold of Albu Kamal in eastern Syria.

ISIS has committed many atrocities during its reign of terror, including mass executions and decapitations.

In recent months, Syria and Iraq have discovered mass graves in areas previously occupied by militants.

ISIS proclaimed a “caliphate” over large areas of the two countries in 2014 but has since lost almost all the territory it once held.

It continues, however, to control a pocket around Hajin, believed to be home to high-profile ISIS militants who fled after their strongholds were overrun.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by warplanes from the US-led coalition, have been fighting ISIS in the area since September.

Battles between the SDF and ISIS erupted on the eastern flanks of Hajin yesterday, the Observatory reported, and coalition warplanes struck militant targets in the area.

After months of battles the SDF captured Hajin last week and pushed militants to the outskirts of the town, where clashes are now taking place.

At least 5,000 ISIS fighters remain holed up in the enclave, including many foreigners.

The Observatory estimates that about 950 ISIS militants and 545 SDF fighters have been killed in battles since September.

Meanwhile, more than 2,400 civilians have fled towards SDF-held areas from ISIS territory in east Syria in less than a month, the Observatory said.

In recent weeks, the SDF had to draft in battle-hardened fighters from other fronts after devastating counter-attacks by the extremists.