ISIS turf in Syria down to one square mile

OUTSIDE BAGHOUZ, Syria — Islamic State group militants clung to their last square mile of land in eastern Syria on Thursday with an unknown number of civilians trapped inside, officials said.

U.S.-backed forces conducted precision operations targeting the militants’ outposts in and around the village of Baghouz and worked to clear surrounding villages of remaining fighters, officials with the Kurdish-led forces said.

Thousands of people, including many foreign fighters and their families, have emerged from the area in the past few weeks amid ferocious fighting as the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces closed in from three sides.

They include scores of militants who surrendered to the Syrian Democratic Forces on Wednesday night.

“The battle continues but the pace has changed. … There are advances but very slow,” said Mervan, a Syrian Democratic Forces official who goes by the nickname “the Brave.”

He said operations have focused mainly on the village’s northeast axis, hitting posts held by the Islamic State and its cells.

He said the militants attacked the Kurdish forces the night before, hitting one of their vehicles and killing a number of fighters.

“The forces are moving very slowly. They are not moving heavy weapons, very little unless guided and very precise,” he said. The official said he estimates that 300 militants remain inside the enclave, and about 1 square mile remains in Islamic State hands.

Ciyager Amed, a Syrian Democratic Forces official, said it is difficult to differentiate between the militants and civilians still holed up in Baghouz, citing one reason the advances have slowed down.

The U.S.-led coalition said the Syrian Democratic Forces were conducting clearing operations of remaining Islamic State militants who are hiding among the local population, and detaining others attempting to flee with the civilians.

The capture of Baghouz and nearby areas would mark the end of a devastating fouryear global campaign to end the extremist group’s hold on territory in Syria and Iraq.

President Donald Trump has said the group is all but defeated and announced in December that he would withdraw the 2,000 American forces from Syria.

A coalition official, however, reiterated Wednesday that the Islamic State continues to pose a threat to the security of the region even if its hold on territory is ending.

“While ISIS is on the verge of collapse, and the end of the physical caliphate is at hand, it does not signal the end of this campaign,” said U.K. Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, using an acronym for the Islamic State. “We will pursue them until that threat is eliminated.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hasan Rouhani, both key allies of Syrian President Bashar Assad, said at a news conference that the Syrian government must take over the regions where U.S. troops are currently deployed.