ISIS Reclaims Syria Stronghold
The so-called Islamic State recaptured its last stronghold in Syria on Saturday, only two days after the Syrian government declared victory over the militant group, Agence France-Presse reported.
Citing the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), AFP said that pro-government forces, including Iraqi militias and the Lebanese Hezbollah, retreated from the town of Boukamal, near the Iraqi border, after clashes with ISIS militants.
“Regime forces and allied militia are now between 1 to 2 km [0.6–1.2 miles] from the city limits,” Rami Abdulrahman, head of the SOHR, told AFP.
The pullout comes after ISIS carried out a string of attacks on government forces that had earlier announced the capture of the town.
According to Reuters, militants were hiding in tunnels in the heart of the city.
They “began surprise attacks with suicide bombers and rocket attacks after the Iranian militias were duped that Daesh had left the city,” Qahtan Ghanam al-Ali, a tribal leader, told Reuters using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
The Syrian government on Thursday said that ISIS was defeated after militants were believed to have retreated from the town.
Russia and U.S. Say No Military Solution to Syrian Conflict
Russia and the U.S. issued a joint presidential statement on Saturday affirming the need for a political solution to the Syrian conflict, Reuters reported.
The joint statement was released after U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin met briefly on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam.
Beyond saying there was no military solution for the conflict, the statement also “pledged to continue ‘de-confliction’ to ensure the U.S. and Russian militaries do not clash … and pledged new support for the U.N.-backed ‘Geneva process,’ which has failed to find a political solution to end the conflict,” Reuters said.
In a separate report, Reuters said that Putin and Trump also agreed to expand a cease-fire in southwestern Syria, near the Israeli and Jordanian borders, brokered earlier in July.
An unidentified U.S. State Department official told Reuters that Moscow has agreed “to work with the Syrian regime to remove Iranian-backed forces a defined distance” from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
“Those distances would range from as little as 5-7km [3–4.3 miles] and up to around 30km [19 miles],” Reuters said.
Speaking after the meeting, Trump said the agreement would “save tremendous numbers of lives,” according to Reuters.
Citing unidentified State Department officials, AFP said that the statement was the result of “months of fairly intense discussions.”
Russian Airstrike and Artillery Attacks Kill Scores in East Syria
At least 50 people, including 20 children, have been killed in Russian airstrikes and artillery attacks on eastern Syria since Friday, AFP said, citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The shelling targeted areas along the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor province, including two camps for the internally displaced, according to AFP.
A number of airstrikes on Sunday targeted river crossings around the town of Boukamal, which was recaptured by ISIS from government forces on Saturday.
“Five civilians, including two children, were killed in the strikes on Al-Soussa crossing about 5km [3 miles] east of Albu Kamal,” the head of the SOHR told AFP, giving an alternative name for Boukamal.
“Six civilians were killed in raids on another river crossing 20km [12.5 miles] north of the town,” he added.
At least 39 others were killed in air raids and artillery fire earlier on Saturday, AFP said.
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