Syria: ISIL stronghold of al-Shadadi ‘captured by Kurdish-led forces’

[rooster59]

Syria: ISIL stronghold of al-Shadadi ‘captured by Kurdish-led forces’



A Syrian monitor is claiming that a strategically important ISIL stronghold in northeastern Syria has fallen to a Kurdish-led force backed by US-led air strikes.

Pictures are said to show an oil facility 12 kilometres from the city of al-Shadadi that’s been captured by the Syria Democratic Forces.

The reported fall of the the last major city in the area under ISIL control could help isolate Raqqa, the fanatics’ self-styled capital in Syria.

The rooms apparently inside the newly-captured oil facility show ISIL insignia.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights describes the fall of the city as a “psychological blow” to the so-called Islamic State.

Its director Rami Abdulrahman, who says he is in regular contact with numerous contacts in Syria, says the SDF has taken many villages and rural areas from ISIL in recent days.

The Kurdish-led forces which also include Arab groups announced they had launched an operation to seize al-Shadadi on Thursday.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-20

[Steely Dan]

Foreign special forces did the heavy lifting, the Kurds planted the flag. No offense to the Kurds by the way who I hope get their homeland.

[craigt3365]

Aren't the Kurds being bombed by both Turkey and Russia? What a crazy war:

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/151220153

[shirtless]

Its about time the USA helped the Kurds , forget Turkey they are double crossing SOBS

[Geoffggi]

It is about time all foreign troops pulled out and let them sort it out themselves, why get involved the Arabs don't try to interfere with foreign policy other than trying to take foreign countries over by flooding them with their outcasts, it's time others woke up to what is happening.

[craigt3365]

It is about time all foreign troops pulled out and let them sort it out themselves, why get involved the Arabs don't try to interfere with foreign policy other than trying to take foreign countries over by flooding them with their outcasts, it's time others woke up to what is happening.

The other Arab countries are definitely trying to interfere with Syria's foreign policy. Why would they be funding the terrorists and have troops on the ground?

[oldsailor35]

will they trace and arrest any guilty of the many atrocities that we read of in the media, or will the ISIL terrorists just walk free.

[simple1]

will they trace and arrest any guilty of the many atrocities that we read of in the media, or will the ISIL terrorists just walk free.

40 ISIS members have been sentenced to death in Iraq for the murder of around 1,700 members of Iraqi security forces after they were captured. In Syria I would guess captured ISIS forces would be tortured then extrajudicial killed.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/2016/02/18/Iraq-sentences-40-ISIS-to-death-over-mass-killing.html

Edited February 20, 2016 by simple1

[simple1]

Aren't the Kurds being bombed by both Turkey and Russia? What a crazy war:

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/151220153

Not just Kurds, but also Arab fighters in a coalition named Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF - also anti Assad) supported by US air power. SDF are also fighting in Aleppo and aiming for Raqqa as is the Assad regime; be interesting to see the outcome should the SDF and Assad regime forces come into direct contact with US & Russian air power supporting the competing alliances.

[Rancid]

Lot of players in that region. Somehow doubt Turkey will be celebrating a Kurdish victory.

Democratic Syrian Forces, are they those 4 guys the US trained at a cost of millions. If so perhaps they were worth it. Or are they the other islamic moderates that get sent all the arms due to their obvious moderateness and them pass on them on to associates Al-Qaeda or ISIS?

Was reading that most of the actual moderates prefer to wage the good fight from European luxury hotels, even though they obviously would prefer to be out in the desert.

Also isn't that Syrian Observatory group actually one guy with a laptop of questionable background?