The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are continuing to fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the town of al-Sousa east of the Euphrates, with participation from International Coalition planes.
On Tuesday, the SDF said through its official sources that its fighters had taken control of 75 percent of the town of al-Sousa, in the Hajin area, which is one of the last strongholds of the group east of the Euphrates.
The Kurdish forces added that heavy clashes were continuing in the area, in an attempt to take control of the town completely.
Media networks in the city of Deir ez-Zor said that ISIS had set fire to tires and crude oil to interfere with International Coalition planes.
The Furat Post (Euphates Post) network said that the battles were continuing for a second day, and that all reports saying that the SDF had taken control of Sousa were false.
The ISIS news agency, Ammaq, published a report in which it said it had destroyed four-wheel drive vehicles carrying SDF members with an explosive in the town of al-Shaheel in the Deir ez-Zor countryside.
The attack on Sousa comes a day after an International Coalition bombardment struck a mosque in the town and killed civilians as well as ISIS commanders, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in the eastern area.
In a press statement to Reuters on Monday, Coalition spokesman Sean Ryan said that the mosque, that was struck by Coalition raids, had been used by the group as a “military base” to defend the last area it controlled.
The Hajin pocket is considered the group’s last strongholds east of the Euphrates.
In recent days, ISIS has carried out attacks on SDF positions in an attempt to retake the points which they have recently lost, primarily Sousa and Baghour Fouqani.
The SDF has said it is advancing in the area on various fronts, but this has been limited to advances of meters, not a major wide scale advance.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
