The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized ground from Islamic State in a fierce battle to capture its last enclave in eastern Syria. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began an assault against the final Islamic State enclave in eastern Syria in a bid to wipe out the last vestige of the group’s “caliphate” in the SDF’s area of operations. The enclave is close to the Iraqi border and comprises two villages, though Islamic State, also known as Isis, also still has territory in the part of Syria that is mostly under the control of the Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government. SDF official Mustafa Bali, speaking to Reuters, described the assault as “the last battle”. He later wrote on Twitter that the attack had started and the enclave would “be cleared soon”. The SDF had handled the last 10 days “patiently” as more than 20,000 civilians were evacuated from the besieged IS enclave, Mr Bali said. Senior SDF official Redur Xelil told Reuters the force hoped to capture the area by the end of February, but cautioned that IS would continue to pose “great and serious” security threats even after that.
The Battle of Baghuz Fawqani began on 9 February 2019 during the Syrian Civil War, encompassing the immediate surroundings of the Syrian town of Al-Baghuz Fawqani along the eastern banks of the Middle Euphrates River Valley in the Abu Kamal District. The battle marked the last stand of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in eastern Syria as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), assisted by American-led Coalition airstrikes, artillery, and military advisers, began their thrust into the last enclave controlled by the Islamic State in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. Since September 2017, the Syrian Democratic Forces had been on a campaign to wrest territorial control from the Islamic State terror group in eastern Syria. The SDF's advances were supported by American, British and French forces from the CJTF-OIR Coalition via close air support, French and American artillery, and American special forces advice and oversight.
The SDF launched its third and final phase of their campaign in September 2018, gradually capturing the remaining ISIL pocket of territory straddling the Euphrates river near the Iraq-Syria border. By 1 February 2019, ISIL was reduced to four square kilometers of territory, boxed in against the river. The massive exodus of civilians complicated advances, with the SDF pausing its advance for almost 10 days prior to the battle. Within the 10 days preceding the battle, over 20,000 civilians fled the enclave. Redur Kalil, the SDF's senior public relations officer, told
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