IS fighters hold civilians hostage in last Syria holdout
- 5 years ago
As U.S.-backed forces engage in what is being called their "final battle" against the Islamic State group, hundreds of militants are reported to be hiding among civilians, whom have been taken hostage.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram… the last battle is proving to be a difficult one.
That's right Mark… although ISIS has been pushed back to only a speck of land, AP reports that IS fighters are under the shadow of a small hill along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
A spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said Sunday that the group is preventing civilians from leaving the area, closing a corridor from which nearly 40,000 residents have managed to escape since December.
The militants, including high-level commanders, are said to be hiding among civilians in a tented village at the edge of Baghouz and using a network of caves and tunnels.
The hostage situation could explain the slowing final push to eradicate ISIS.
However, the extremists are also said to be running out of ammunition, encircled from all sides by forces waiting to declare the territorial defeat of the terrorist group.
The Islamic State group's self-proclaimed caliphate once controlled about a third of Syria and Iraq, but has now shrunk to what SDF officials say is no more than 700 square meters.
Meanwhile, for the more than 800 ISIS fighters who have been captured in the final battle, President Trump has told European allies to take them back and put them on trial.
In a series of weekend tweets, Trump wrote "Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing."
While claiming ISIS was ready to fall, Trump threatened to release the prisoners if Europe did not accept his request.
He added "the U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go."
His comments echoed those made by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who warned that miliatants who make it to Britain will be investigated and potentially prosecuted.
Germany, on the other hand, said citizens suspected of fighting for ISIS have the right to return to Germany and would be subject to deradicalization measures.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram… the last battle is proving to be a difficult one.
That's right Mark… although ISIS has been pushed back to only a speck of land, AP reports that IS fighters are under the shadow of a small hill along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
A spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said Sunday that the group is preventing civilians from leaving the area, closing a corridor from which nearly 40,000 residents have managed to escape since December.
The militants, including high-level commanders, are said to be hiding among civilians in a tented village at the edge of Baghouz and using a network of caves and tunnels.
The hostage situation could explain the slowing final push to eradicate ISIS.
However, the extremists are also said to be running out of ammunition, encircled from all sides by forces waiting to declare the territorial defeat of the terrorist group.
The Islamic State group's self-proclaimed caliphate once controlled about a third of Syria and Iraq, but has now shrunk to what SDF officials say is no more than 700 square meters.
Meanwhile, for the more than 800 ISIS fighters who have been captured in the final battle, President Trump has told European allies to take them back and put them on trial.
In a series of weekend tweets, Trump wrote "Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing."
While claiming ISIS was ready to fall, Trump threatened to release the prisoners if Europe did not accept his request.
He added "the U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go."
His comments echoed those made by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who warned that miliatants who make it to Britain will be investigated and potentially prosecuted.
Germany, on the other hand, said citizens suspected of fighting for ISIS have the right to return to Germany and would be subject to deradicalization measures.