ISIS militants fight back in Syria’s Shaddadi after Kurdish advance

ARA News

HASAKAH – Just two days after Kurdish forces and allies recaptured the strategic city of Shaddadi in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province, militant fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS) returned to the fighting front in the vicinity of the city in a bid to regain positions.

Fierce clashes broke out on Sunday evening in Shaddadi’s suburbs between ISIS militants and Kurdish-Arab alliance of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where casualties were reported on both sides.

“The clashes centered in the western suburb of Shaddadi, where ISIS militants launched a mortar attack on our headquarters,” a spokesman for the SDF told ARA News. “Subsequent to the terror attack, heavy clashes broke our between our fighters and ISIS militants.”

At least seven ISIS jihadis were killed and a dozen more wounded, while the SDF lost 11 fighters in Sunday’s clashes.

ISIS recaptured the village ’47’ in Shaddadi suburb. The city remained under the control of the Kurdish fighters and SDF allies.

“The radical group returned to the fighting front of Shaddadi in an attempt to regain control of the city. The Kurdish YPG and other units of the SDF are now trying to fortify Shaddadi against ISIS jihadis,” the official said. “After recapturing this strategic city, our forces won’t give it up at any cost. The main objective if to cleanse the entire Hasakah province from ISIS and prevent the group from returning.”

On Friday, the SDF leadership announced the liberation of Shaddadi city in Hasakah province from the Islamic State’s (ISIS) militants, after months of battles with the radical group. ISIS militants had evacuated their headquarters in Shaddadi under heavy bombardment by the Kurdish-Arab alliance of the SDF, where more than 50 ISIS fighters were reported dead. The progress came just hours after the SDF units, supported by an air cover from the U.S.-led coalition, cut off a main supply route for the ISIS radical group near Syria’s northeastern border with Iraq.

Reporting by: Qehreman Miste

Source: ARA News