Al-Jazeera Tempest, SDF battle’s priorities on Euphrates River

ALAN ROJ / NEWS DESK

As al-Jazeera Tempest campaign was resumed in the southern countryside of al-Hasakah towards al-Deshisha area by SDF's fighters last June, priorities have been put to secure the full border with Iraq in coordination with the Iraqi army and with the support of the International Coalition against Terrorism and liberate the civilians and their villages from IS .

During this stage of the campaign, great important results and quick victories have been achieved on the border and the southern desert of Hassakah by the forces with the support of the International Alliance’s warplanes and the joint operations room with the Iraqi army to liberate after two weeks of fierce fighting al-Deshisha strategic town in the middle of the desert of the Hasaka countryside which is considered the last stronghold of IS in this canton.

The spokeswoman for al-Jazeera Tempset operations room Lilwa al-Abdullah told ANHA, "The liberation al-Deshisha campaign was one of the most important goals and achievements in coordination with the Iraqi army on the border and with the support of the International Coalition as a safe human corridor has been opened and hundreds of the civilians trapped in the areas dominated by IS have been liberated.

Steps at the security, local, regional and international levels

The Syrian Democratic Forces' campaign was widely heard in the area due to its regional and international coordination in its battle against terrorism as joint points were formed on the entire border between the areas that have been liberated by virtue of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Iraqi army after forming an operations room to coordinate in their battles against IS.

As for the security situation in the liberated areas, the commander Sherko Hasaka assured in a statement to ANHA that they are still combing the liberated villages and dozens of IS mercenaries and their sleeper cells have been arrested so far. In addition to that, their special teams continue to remove the mines for the inhabitants to be able to return to their villages safely after finishing the combing operations.

Hajin strategic city, SDF’s priorities in their new battle

After the liberation of the entire desert of al-Jazeera with its villages, towns and cities in the southern countryside of al-Hasakah and northern of Deir-ez-Zor estimated at an area of 71,360 km and a length of 191 km, the eyes of the forces have been moving towards Hajin city that is considered one of the largest strongholds of IS and the most important of which on the banks of the Euphrates River.

Hajin city’s strategy comes due to being surrounded by the Euphrates River from three sides, and it is considered a shallow zone and many farms existed there as IS mercenaries benefit from them in their movements and form their defense lines according to military commanders who are keeping up with al-Jazeera Tempest campaign so it is considered the largest stronghold of IS on the eastern bank of the Euphrates and a center for them.

Commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces in Hajin axis also noted that most of IS mercenaries whose number is between 4,000 and 7,000 are foreigners, and among the commanders of IS there are those who have made the city a stronghold over the period of al-Jazeera Tempest campaign and their gradually withdrawing to this point alongside to al-Shafa and al-Sus towns in al-Bu Kamal area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates.

Liberating civilians, detainees and opening corridors are priorities of SDF.

The other thing that the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Coalition’s forces are putting in the priorities of their next campaign is how to secure the exit of the trapped civilians in the city who have been kidnapped or captured by IS mercenaries in Syria and Iraq and who are used by IS mercenaries as human shields in their movements and attacks.

The forces managed to open a safe passage for hundreds of civilians to cross as they were living in terror under the siege of IS and they were prevented to escape to the SDF's points considering them as apostasy, disbelief and out of the Islamic religion as reported by the displaced when they arrived in the liberated areas.

Now, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the International Coalition are approaching the end of IS mercenaries as an integrated geographical IS presence in northeastern of Syria despite many attempts of the Turkish state and its mercenaries to revive them and affect the advance of the forces in al-Jazzera Tempest campaign with their attacks on other parts of Syria.

(T/S)

ANHA