Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 25 March 2019

U.S. backed Syrian force clears area retaken from IS

By SARAH EL DEEB tion centers and crowded
Associated Press camps for the displaced
BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-backed elsewhere in eastern Syria.
Syrian fighters cleared ex- “This is an historic moment,
plosives in the last area but we cannot be compla-
retaken from the Islamic cent,” tweeted Maj. Gen.
State group on Sunday Christopher Ghika, the
and arrested a number of deputy commander of the
militants hiding in tunnels, a U.S.-led coalition against IS.
day after declaring military “Even without territory,
victory and the end of the Daesh will continue to pose
extremists’ self-styled ca- a threat to the people of
liphate. Iraq and Syria, as well as to
The U.S.-led coalition said the wider world. The coali-
the clearing operations will tion must remain firm in its
continue until the area is determination to counter
secure. Daesh,” he said.
A spokesman for the Kurd- Separately, Syrian state
ish-led Syrian Democratic media reported that nearly
Forces, who goes by the two dozen people have
nom de guerre Mervan The suffered from asphyxiation
Brave, said Baghouz village after shells were lobbed
where the militants made from rebel-held areas into
their final stand is “full of all government-administered
kinds of explosives.” He said A U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter stands on a rooftop overlooking Baghouz, villages in the country’s
SDF forces have detonat- Syria, after the SDF declared the area free of Islamic State militants after months of fighting on west.
ed land mines and suicide Saturday, March 23, 2019. The state news agency
belts left behind by the mili- Associated Press quoted director of a local
tants. Arabic acronym for IS. “This The victory announced killed in the fight against IS. hospital in Hama province
The Kurdish Hawar News back-clearance operation in Baghouz on Saturday The militants were hold- as saying that 21 people
Agency reported that will be deliberate and thor- marks the end of a devas- ing hostages and had de- were hospitalized after in-
during the combing SDF ough and help ensure the tating five-year campaign tained civilians, the fate haling gases in the attack
forces arrested a number long-term security for the by an array of forces to re- of many also remains un- on al-Rasif and al-Aziziyeh
of militants found hiding in area.” take territories held by IS in known. villages.
combat tunnels. Mervan A day earlier, a Syrian driver Syria and Iraq. At its height, Despite the territorial de- The pro-state Al-Ikhbariya
The Brave confirmed the working with NBC News re- IS controlled a sprawling feat, the militants have TV interviewed survivors at
reports but had no further porters was killed by an ex- self-declared caliphate reverted to insurgent tac- the hospital who said a foul
details. plosive device that went off between the two countries tics and continue to carry smell followed the launch-
Other activist groups moni- in a house used by the SDF that was home to some 8 out attacks in areas liber- ing of mortars into their vil-
toring the area reported as a command post and a million people. ated months or even years lages.
limited clashes between media center for journal- The campaign against the ago. An unknown number The months-old truce, spon-
remaining militants and SDF ists covering the fighting in group came at a stagger- of fighters and supporters sored by Russia and Turkey,
fighters. Baghouz. ing cost, with entire neigh- slipped into Syrian and Iraqi in Syria’s west has been
In a series of tweets, the Noah Oppenheim, the borhoods and towns de- towns and villages, forming tested, as fighting between
U.S.-led coalition said the president of NBC News, stroyed in both countries. the backbone of the new government forces and
SDF continued “back- said in a statement that Thousands of civilians are insurgency. al-Qaida-linked militants
clearance operations” to network employees es- believed to have been The fate of the group’s resumed. The government
rid Baghouz of any militants caped unharmed and that killed by IS during its brutal leader, Abu Bakr al-Bagh- wants to regain control of
or weapon caches. the reason for the explo- reign as well as the air and dadi, remains unknown. a key highway that flanks
“The Syrian Democratic sion was being investigat- ground operations by the There is a $25 million bounty the opposition-held area.
Forces will continue to deny ed. He expressed “deepest coalition and allied troops. on his head. Al-Qaida-linked militants
Daesh a physical space sympathies” to the driver’s Watchdog groups contin- In recent weeks, thou- have expanded their domi-
and influence in the area family and said the net- ue to document the casu- sands of people, including nance in northwestern Syr-
and work to deny them work is in touch with them alties. IS fighters and their fam- ia, rooting out other armed
the resources they need to “support them however Meanwhile, the SDF said ily members, left Baghouz opposition groups and un-
to return,” it said using the we can.” 11,000 of its fighters were and were taken to deten- dermining the truce.q