US-backed Syrian rebels launch bid to cut key ISIS route
June 28, 2016US-backed rebel fighters in eastern Syria said they launched an offensive on Tuesday to sever a vital supply route of the Islamic State group to neighboring Iraq.
The New Syrian Army’s fighters are first aiming to cut the route before targeting Albu Kamal, a town in the oil-rich eastern Deir Ezzor province mostly held by the jihadists.
ISIS terrorists seized the town and nearby border crossing in mid-2014, just as the Sunni extremist group declared a self-styled “caliphate” in territory it controlled across both Syria and Iraq.
If the NSA’s fighters manage to seize Albu Kamal, it would be the second border point they have captured from the jihadists this year after overrunning Al-Tanaf.
The operation launched on Tuesday is backed by air strikes from the US-led coalition.
Its aim was to “cut Daesh’s military supply lines between Syria and Iraq,” said NSA spokesman Muzahem al-Sallum, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
“We began our attack in full coordination with the Iraqi side, specifically tribal fighters in Anbar and the counter-terrorism service of the Iraqi government,” he told AFP.
Iraqi fighters had launched a parallel operation at noon towards Albu Kamal, which is known as Al-Qaim across the border.
Within hours, units of the NSA were pushing northeast from the Al-Tanaf border crossing and hundreds of its fighters were now locked in clashes with the jihadists, said Sallum.
An online statement published by the NSA asked residents of Albu Kamal to move away from ISIS positions in the town ahead of coalition air strikes there.
Fighters of the NSA were trained by the British and Americans in Jordan and is backed by the US-led air coalition bombing ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The Islamic State group is now facing growing pressure from US-backed offensives on its bastion cities in both Syria and Iraq.
In northern Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters have edged into the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa with air cover by coalition warplanes.
In neighboring Iraq, authorities declared at the weekend that they were fully in control of the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad.
Fallujah, in Anbar province, was one of the last two major cities held by ISIS in Iraq.
ISIS has lost the major towns and cities of the province but still controls areas in Anbar’s far west, near the Syrian border.
AFP contributed this report.
Similar posts
-
Israel: Small Size, Big Impact
March 21, 2024Nestled along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is a land of immense historical sig...
-
Israelis Are Fighting For Their Lives
February 21, 2024By Jonathan S. Tobin The world looks a lot different from Kibbutz Kfar Aza than it does in the U...
-
Over 2 Million Arabs Live In Israel
January 23, 2024In the complex landscape of the Middle East, where diverse cultures and identities intersect, Israe...
-
'Fauda' Star Idan Amedi Injured Fighting in Gaza
January 8, 2024Despite the severity of his injuries, Amedi's father assured Israeli news channels that his life is...
-
Israel Is A Great Country To Live In
December 28, 2023Nestled at the crossroads of the Middle East, Israel stands as a vibrant and dynamic nation, offeri...
-
Women's Empowerment in Israel
December 15, 2023In recent decades, Israel has witnessed a remarkable evolution in the status and empowerment of wom...
-
Female Israeli Soldiers Who Defeated 100 Terrorists
December 6, 2023In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, the valiant all-female unit of the Israeli Defense Force...
-
Dear World: I Don't Care
November 2, 2023By Avi Lewis I don’t care that you sympathize with Hamas I know you wouldn’t tolerate any of ...