Communication Lines of ISIS Between Syria and Iraq Have Been Cut

The military coalition against the Islamic State, led by the United States, states that forces engaged in combat with extremist militants have succeeded in cutting off their communication and troop transfer lines between Iraq and Syria in northern Syria. A statement from the coalition against the Islamic State indicates that the forces fighting them, supported by airstrikes from the coalition, have managed to break the resistance of ISIS near the strategic city of Tal Hamis. According to this statement published on March 10, this situation 'deprives the terrorist group of its freedom to maneuver in the region.' The coalition against the Islamic State reports that a significant part of Route 47 in Syria, which had become a key line for transferring equipment and communication among its members in Syria and Iraq, is now out of their control. Meanwhile, the forces engaged in combat with the Islamic State have also managed to free '94 villagers' who had been taken captive. According to AFP, James Terry, the commander of coalition forces, stated in his announcement—using the Arabic acronym for the group, 'ISIS'—that operations against them in Syria demonstrate 'the capabilities of anti-ISIS forces in analyzing its influence in the region.' He noted that some military equipment, vehicles, and bases of the group have also been destroyed in these attacks. On February 27, Kurdish forces, supported by Arab fighters in Syria, had managed to take control of the city of Tal Hamis, but battles in the surrounding areas continue. Tal Hamis is a city in the Qamishli region of Syria in the Hasakah province (Kurdish: Heşîç) in the northeastern part of the country. The U.S. Department of Defense website also referenced this statement, quoting official sources that the coalition continues to support the forces engaged in combat with the Islamic State. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, a two-week operation in Syria concluded on March 7 (four days ago). The latest coalition statement comes as reports from Iraq, another country where battles with extremist militants are taking place, indicate that government-affiliated forces have succeeded in taking parts of Tikrit out of the control of Islamists. Following recent advances in Iraq, the country's army and Shiite militants have managed to take control of two main cities in the south and north of Tikrit.