Syria&#39;s army seized the last Islamic State group stronghold in the country&#39;s Homs province, clearing their path to attack the jihadists in the country&#39;s east, a monitor said.

Al-Sukhna, some 70 kilometres northeast of the famed ancient city of Palmyra, is the last town on the road to the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where a government garrison has held out under IS siege since early 2015.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said government forces had captured the town after heavy army artillery fire and air strikes by government ally Russia.

There was no official confirmation of the capture from Syria&#39;s government.

State news agency SANA said the army had surrounded the town from three sides.

Since May, Syria&#39;s army has been conducting a broad military campaign with Russian support to recapture the vast desert that separates the capital Damascus from Deir Ezzor and other towns along the Euphrates Valley.

Already defeated in its Iraqi bastion of Mosul, IS is facing multiple assaults in Syria.

The US-backed Syrian Defence Forces now control more than half of its most important remaining stronghold Raqa.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces had captured Al-Sukhna after heavy army artillery fire and air strikes by government ally Russia

Syria's army seized the last Islamic State group stronghold in the country's Homs province, clearing their path to attack the jihadists in the country's east, a monitor said. Al-Sukhna, some 70 kilometres northeast of the famed ancient city of Palmyra, is the last town on the road to the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where a government garrison has held out under IS siege since early 2015. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said government forces had captured the town after heavy army artillery fire and air strikes by government ally Russia. There was no official confirmation of the capture from Syria's government. State news agency SANA said the army had surrounded the town from three sides. Since May, Syria's army has been conducting a broad military campaign with Russian support to recapture the vast desert that separates the capital Damascus from Deir Ezzor and other towns along the Euphrates Valley. Already defeated in its Iraqi bastion of Mosul, IS is facing multiple assaults in Syria. The US-backed Syrian Defence Forces now control more than half of its most important remaining stronghold Raqa.

Syrian army takes last IS-held town in Homs: Monitor

A US-backed alliance has ousted Islamic State group jihadists from half of their Syrian bastion Raqa, a monitor said Wednesday, less than two months after its fighters entered the city.

&quot;The Syrian Democratic Forces are now in control of 50 percent of Raqa city despite the fierce resistance mounted by IS,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The SDF&#39;s Arab and Kurdish fighters broke into Raqa on June 6 after spending months chipping away at jihadist-held territory around the northern Syrian city.

They have since steadily advanced in a pincer-like motion, closing in on the city centre.

The SDF assault has been backed by air strikes, special forces advisers, equipment and weapons from the US-led coalition fighting IS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

But IS has fought back using car bombs, suicide attacks and weaponised drones.

IS first seized Raqa in early 2014, and the city has since become synonymous with the group&#39;s most gruesome atrocities.

It carried out public beheadings and is also thought to have used Raqa as a hub for planning attacks overseas.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the escalating violence, and the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people are still trapped inside the city.

More than 330,000 people have lost their lives in Syria since the country&#39;s multi-party conflict broke out with anti-government protests in March 2011.

'The Syrian Democratic Forces are now in control of 50 per cent of Raqa city despite the fierce resistance mounted by IS,' said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

A US-backed alliance has ousted Islamic State group jihadists from half of their Syrian bastion Raqa, a monitor said Wednesday, less than two months after its fighters entered the city. "The Syrian Democratic Forces are now in control of 50 percent of Raqa city despite the fierce resistance mounted by IS," said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The SDF's Arab and Kurdish fighters broke into Raqa on June 6 after spending months chipping away at jihadist-held territory around the northern Syrian city. They have since steadily advanced in a pincer-like motion, closing in on the city centre. The SDF assault has been backed by air strikes, special forces advisers, equipment and weapons from the US-led coalition fighting IS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. But IS has fought back using car bombs, suicide attacks and weaponised drones. IS first seized Raqa in early 2014, and the city has since become synonymous with the group's most gruesome atrocities. It carried out public beheadings and is also thought to have used Raqa as a hub for planning attacks overseas. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the escalating violence, and the United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people are still trapped inside the city. More than 330,000 people have lost their lives in Syria since the country's multi-party conflict broke out with anti-government protests in March 2011.

US-backed Syria force has ousted IS from half of Raqa: Monitor

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week, tightening &quot;their noose&quot; on Islamic State in an advance to isolate its base of operations at Raqqa, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Wednesday.

Some 3,000 to 4,000 Islamic State fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city where they continue to erect defences against the anticipated assault, drawing coalition air strikes to stop them, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, told Reuters in a phone interview from Baghdad.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been encircling Raqqa since November in a multi-phased offensive backed by the US-led coalition that is also fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Last week, the SDF accomplished a major goal by capturing Tabqa some 50 km (30 miles) west of Raqqa.

&quot;In the last week, the SDF have tightened their noose around ISIS in the northern and eastern and western part of Raqqa,&quot; Dillon said. SDF fighters had drawn as near as 4 km (2.5 miles) to Raqqa at their closest point to the city.

&quot;They have taken almost 350 sq kilometres of ground from ISIS, so they continue to just encroach and ... tighten, and tighten and tighten that isolation ring, quite frankly largely uncontested,&quot; he said.

The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, said last week it expects to launch the final assault on Raqqa city in early summer. YPG and SDF officials had previously given April start dates for the assault, but these slipped as the battle for Tabqa went on.

Asked about the timeframe, Dillon said: &quot;We do not try to stick to a timeline.

&quot;There&#39;s a principle of war called surprise and we want achieve that and we want our partner force to achieve that when they do decide it is the right time and place or places ... to start their assault.&quot;

Defences being erected by Islamic State include earthen berms, some of them designed to hold large pools of water. In some cases, these had collapsed, causing flooding in Raqqa city.

While the coalition already has armed Arab fighters in the SDF, the White House last week authorized supplying weapons for the YPG, to help in the Raqqa assault.

Dillon said there had been no deliveries and no specifics on the types of weapons and equipment the SDF will receive.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy and rights inside Turkey.

(Reuters)

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized 350 square km (135 square miles) in the past week, tightening "their noose" on Islamic State in an advance to isolate its base of operations at Raqqa, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Wednesday. Some 3,000 to 4,000 Islamic State fighters are thought to be holed up in Raqqa city where they continue to erect defences against the anticipated assault, drawing coalition air strikes to stop them, Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition, told Reuters in a phone interview from Baghdad. The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has been encircling Raqqa since November in a multi-phased offensive backed by the US-led coalition that is also fighting Islamic State in Iraq. Last week, the SDF accomplished a major goal by capturing Tabqa some 50 km (30 miles) west of Raqqa. "In the last week, the SDF have tightened their noose around ISIS in the northern and eastern and western part of Raqqa," Dillon said. SDF fighters had drawn as near as 4 km (2.5 miles) to Raqqa at their closest point to the city. "They have taken almost 350 sq kilometres of ground from ISIS, so they continue to just encroach and ... tighten, and tighten and tighten that isolation ring, quite frankly largely uncontested," he said. The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, said last week it expects to launch the final assault on Raqqa city in early summer. YPG and SDF officials had previously given April start dates for the assault, but these slipped as the battle for Tabqa went on. Asked about the timeframe, Dillon said: "We do not try to stick to a timeline. "There's a principle of war called surprise and we want achieve that and we want our partner force to achieve that when they do decide it is the right time and place or places ... to start their assault." Defences being erected by Islamic State include earthen berms, some of them designed to hold large pools of water. In some cases, these had collapsed, causing flooding in Raqqa city. While the coalition already has armed Arab fighters in the SDF, the White House last week authorized supplying weapons for the YPG, to help in the Raqqa assault. Dillon said there had been no deliveries and no specifics on the types of weapons and equipment the SDF will receive. Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has fought a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy and rights inside Turkey. (Reuters)

Syrian force 'tightens noose' on Islamic State in Raqqa: US-led coalition

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria&#39;s largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa.

The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April.

This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city.

On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district.

SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said.

Islamic State still control the dam.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa.

In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State&#39;s pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014.

(Reuters)

The Syrian Democratic Forces have taken the old quarters of Tabqa, which has Syria's largest dam. But the dam remains under IS' control despite them having control of just 20% of the city

US-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria's largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa. The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April. This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city. On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighbourhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district. SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. Islamic State still control the dam. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 per cent of Tabqa. In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State's pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014. (Reuters)

US coalition ousts IS from vital town in Syria as part of Raqqa offensive

Iran said on Monday that Russia has stopped using an Iranian air base for strikes in Syria, a week after Moscow announced that its fighter-bombers had flown from a base in Iran to hit targets in Syria. 
 
&quot;Russia has no base in Iran and is not stationed here. They did this (operation) and it is finished for now,&quot; Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. 
 
Long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter-bombers used Nojeh air base, near the city of Hamedan, in north-west Iran to launch the air strikes last week, in a move which underscored Moscow&#39;s increasingly close ties with Tehran. 
 
But the deployment, the first time a foreign power has used an Iranian base since World War Two, triggered criticism from some Iranian parliamentarians who said it breached the Islamic Republic&#39;s constitution. 
 
Iranian defence minister Hossein Dehghan dismissed that criticism on Sunday, but also chided Moscow for publicising the move, describing it as showing off and a &quot;betrayal of trust&quot;. 
 
&quot;We have not given any military base to the Russians and they are not here to stay,&quot; Dehghan was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. 
 
He said there has been &quot;no written agreement&quot; between the two countries and the &quot;operational cooperation&quot; was temporary and limited to refuelling. 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time a foreign power has used an Iranian base since World War II

Iran said on Monday that Russia has stopped using an Iranian air base for strikes in Syria, a week after Moscow announced that its fighter-bombers had flown from a base in Iran to hit targets in Syria. "Russia has no base in Iran and is not stationed here. They did this (operation) and it is finished for now," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. Long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter-bombers used Nojeh air base, near the city of Hamedan, in north-west Iran to launch the air strikes last week, in a move which underscored Moscow's increasingly close ties with Tehran. But the deployment, the first time a foreign power has used an Iranian base since World War Two, triggered criticism from some Iranian parliamentarians who said it breached the Islamic Republic's constitution. Iranian defence minister Hossein Dehghan dismissed that criticism on Sunday, but also chided Moscow for publicising the move, describing it as showing off and a "betrayal of trust". "We have not given any military base to the Russians and they are not here to stay," Dehghan was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. He said there has been "no written agreement" between the two countries and the "operational cooperation" was temporary and limited to refuelling. (Reuters)

Iran: Russian use of air base for Syria strikes over 'for now'

US Secretary of State John Kerry&#39;s attempt to elicit Russian military cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in Syria suffered two potentially crippling blows on Thursday. 
 
First, the Syrian army said it had cut off all supply routes into the eastern part of the city of Aleppo, Syria&#39;s most important opposition stronghold and President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government asked residents to leave the city. 
 
That move, US officials speaking on condition of anonymity said on Thursday, appeared to be an effort to pre-empt a US demand that Russia and Syria reopen a major road into the divided northern city before talks could begin on creating a joint intelligence center to coordinate air attacks against Islamic State. 
 
Then al Qaeda&#39;s Syrian branch announced on Thursday it was terminating its relationship with the global network created by Osama bin Laden and changing its name to remove what it called a pretext by the United States and other countries to attack Syrians. 
 
Although one US official called it &quot;a change in name only&quot;, the move complicates the American proposal to limit the Russians and Syrians to targeting only Nusra and IS, not other rebel groups supported by Washington and its allies in the coalition against Islamic State. 
 
&quot;By disavowing its ties to al Qaeda, which, incidentally, it did with al Qaeda&#39;s blessing Nusra has made it harder to isolate it from more moderate groups, some of whose members may join it now because it&#39;s more powerful than some of the groups they belong to now,&quot; said the official. 
 
US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Washington has been clear about its concerns over the announcement of the humanitarian corridor and that its view of the Nusra Front had not changed despite its name change. 
 
&quot;But we also remain committed to the proposals reached by the United States and Russia to better enforce the cessation of hostilities in Syria and provide the space needed for a resumption of political talks. If fully implemented in good faith, they can achieve a measure of success that has eluded us thus far,&quot; Kirby told Reuters. 
 
&quot;As the secretary made clear, however, we are pragmatic about these efforts, and we will look to Russia to meet its commitments as we will meet ours. That will be the primary, determining factor of success here,&quot; he added. 
 
The twin US goals in Syria have been ending the violence that already has claimed some 400,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates, and seeking a political process to replace Assad, whom President Barack Obama has said &quot;must go&quot;. 
 
But while Washington and Moscow have both expressed hope they can find a way to cooperate against Islamic State, Kerry&#39;s proposal was already in trouble due to the competing objectives of the Cold War-era foes as well as resistance from US military and intelligence officials. 
 
US officials questioned Russian and Syrian claims that their aim in evacuating civilians from Aleppo was to clear the way for humanitarian assistance to reach the besieged city, where 200,000-300,000 civilians remain with only two to three weeks of food on hand. 
 
&quot;Why would you evacuate a city that you wanted to send humanitarian aid to?&quot; asked one official. &quot;At first glance, that would appear to be a unilateral effort by Moscow and Assad to pre-empt Kerry&#39;s demand for ending the siege of Aleppo before starting negotiations on the larger issues. If the proposal isn&#39;t dead, it seems to be pretty badly wounded.&quot; 
 
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura wants a deal as soon as possible so he can restart peace talks within a month and aid flows can resume. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Syrian army said it had cut off all supply routes into the eastern part of Aleppo, and Assad's government asked residents to leave the city

US Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to elicit Russian military cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in Syria suffered two potentially crippling blows on Thursday. First, the Syrian army said it had cut off all supply routes into the eastern part of the city of Aleppo, Syria's most important opposition stronghold and President Bashar al-Assad's government asked residents to leave the city. That move, US officials speaking on condition of anonymity said on Thursday, appeared to be an effort to pre-empt a US demand that Russia and Syria reopen a major road into the divided northern city before talks could begin on creating a joint intelligence center to coordinate air attacks against Islamic State. Then al Qaeda's Syrian branch announced on Thursday it was terminating its relationship with the global network created by Osama bin Laden and changing its name to remove what it called a pretext by the United States and other countries to attack Syrians. Although one US official called it "a change in name only", the move complicates the American proposal to limit the Russians and Syrians to targeting only Nusra and IS, not other rebel groups supported by Washington and its allies in the coalition against Islamic State. "By disavowing its ties to al Qaeda, which, incidentally, it did with al Qaeda's blessing Nusra has made it harder to isolate it from more moderate groups, some of whose members may join it now because it's more powerful than some of the groups they belong to now," said the official. US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Washington has been clear about its concerns over the announcement of the humanitarian corridor and that its view of the Nusra Front had not changed despite its name change. "But we also remain committed to the proposals reached by the United States and Russia to better enforce the cessation of hostilities in Syria and provide the space needed for a resumption of political talks. If fully implemented in good faith, they can achieve a measure of success that has eluded us thus far," Kirby told Reuters. "As the secretary made clear, however, we are pragmatic about these efforts, and we will look to Russia to meet its commitments as we will meet ours. That will be the primary, determining factor of success here," he added. The twin US goals in Syria have been ending the violence that already has claimed some 400,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates, and seeking a political process to replace Assad, whom President Barack Obama has said "must go". But while Washington and Moscow have both expressed hope they can find a way to cooperate against Islamic State, Kerry's proposal was already in trouble due to the competing objectives of the Cold War-era foes as well as resistance from US military and intelligence officials. US officials questioned Russian and Syrian claims that their aim in evacuating civilians from Aleppo was to clear the way for humanitarian assistance to reach the besieged city, where 200,000-300,000 civilians remain with only two to three weeks of food on hand. "Why would you evacuate a city that you wanted to send humanitarian aid to?" asked one official. "At first glance, that would appear to be a unilateral effort by Moscow and Assad to pre-empt Kerry's demand for ending the siege of Aleppo before starting negotiations on the larger issues. If the proposal isn't dead, it seems to be pretty badly wounded." UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura wants a deal as soon as possible so he can restart peace talks within a month and aid flows can resume. (Reuters)

US effort to induce Russian support in fight against Islamic State in Syria suffers major setbacks

syria-is

Syria Is, News on Syria Is, stories on Syria Is, articles on Syria Is, Syria Is stories at Wion, Syria Is news, Syria Is latest news