On Sunday, the US-backed Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) finally launched their attack on Baghouz, the final Islamic State enclave on Syrian territory. The assault, which included airstrikes and mortar fire, had been planned for a while, but was repeatedly postponed to allow for the evacuation of civilians from the area.
A spokesman on Sunday stated that “the timeline … for ISIS to surrender themselves is over” and that the SDF was ready to take over the remaining ISIS territory. It is unclear how many ISIS fighter are still in the enclave after hundreds of them surrendered last week.
Read more: Heavy fighting reported as US-backed forces attack last ISIS stronghold in Syria