ISIS Capital Surrounded, SDF Says

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cut off the last main road connecting the so-called Islamic State’s capital, Raqqa, to its territories in Deir Ezzor on Monday, Reuters reported.

The SDF, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces supported by the U.S., has been fighting to isolate ISIS in Raqqa before making an attempt to take the city.

“Cutting the road between Raqqa and Deir al-Zor means that practically the encirclement of the Daesh [ISIS] capital is complete by land,” a Kurdish military source told Reuters.

ISIS is losing ground in the face of three offensives being fought by the U.S.-backed SDF, the Russian-backed Syrian government and Turkish-backed rebel campaigns.

More Than 2,000 Iranian Fighters Killed in Syria, Iraq

Nearly 2,100 Iranian fighters have been killed in Syria and Iraq, the head of Iran’s veterans’ affairs said on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reported.

The fighters were killed “defending the holy mausoleums,” Mohammad Ali Shahidi told the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency. Tehran refers to its fighters as “defenders of the shrines” in reference to Shiite sacred sites targeted by Sunni militants.

The number is more than double the figure Shahidi announced in November, when referring to Iranians killed fighting in Syria. Iran is the key military backer of the Syrian government, and provides support to militias fighting ISIS in Iraq.

Tehran also deploys “volunteer” recruits from Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight in Syria. A new law passed in May gives Iranian citizenship to the families of those killed.

U.S., Russia and Turkish Military Chiefs Meeting

The Turkish military chief of staff is hosting his Russian and U.S. counterparts in the coastal city of Antalya today, Reuters reported.

The meeting is to discuss regional security, especially in Syria and Iraq, the Turkish military said, without providing more details.

Forces backed by Russia, the U.S. and Turkey have come nose to nose in northern Syria. Turkish president Erdogan said last week that Ankara-backed rebels would next target Manbij, which is under the control of U.S.-backed forces, who declared a deal with Russian-backed Syrian military forces earlier this month. But Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim said such action would not make sense unless coordinated with the U.S. and Russia.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• Reuters: Far From War’s Front Lines, Life in Syria Is Still Tough
• Syrian Voice: Lung Infections Spread in East Ghouta as Living Conditions Deteriorate
• The Guardian: Syrian Children Suffer Staggering Levels of Trauma and Stress – Report
• Al Jazeera: For Syrian Orphans, a Childhood on Fast Forward
• The Telegraph: U.S. and Russian Troops Patrol Neighboring Villages in Syria