Syrian army closes in on last ISIL stronghold of al-Bukamal

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Syrian government forces are advancing toward the last ISIL stronghold in Deir al-Zour Province, the city of al-Bukamal, which lies near the Iraqi border, a military source told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The Syrian troops are now fighting to retake the T2 oilfield all the way to reach al-Bukamal, just days after the government forces dislodged ISIL from the city of al-Mayadeen, which was deemed as the ISIL capital in Deir al-Zour, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Syrian government forces close in on the last key ISIL stronghold of al-Bukamal./ Xinhua Photo

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group also reported the progress of the Syrian army, saying the troops are advancing toward al-Bukamal under heavy cover of shelling.

Al-Bukamal is very important for ISIL due to its proximity to ISIL-held areas on the Iraqi side of the border.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Hashid Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilization Forces, are bracing to eliminate ISIL in the areas they control on the Iraqi side of the border in tandem with the Syrian military operations against al-Bukamal.

The operation seemed coordinated between the Syrian and Iraqi forces in the border region to clear it completely of ISIL.

Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces march along after Raqqa was liberated, October 17, 2017. /Reuters Photo‍

In the capital city of Deir al-Zour, the Syrian army captured the al-Sina'a neighborhood from ISIL, as activists said the government troops are now controlling over 90 percent of Deir al-Zour city as a result of the weeks-long offensive in that key area.

Politically, the Riyadh-backed Syrian opposition groups will convene in the Saudi capital next month in a bid to reach an agreement to unify the opposition delegation before the upcoming intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.

Uniting the opposition delegations is a demand of Russia, which said that the Geneva talks won't take place if the Syrian opposition groups could not come to terms.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency