Over 1500 ISIS Militants Surrendered in Syria

Hundreds of militants from the Islamic State group, or ISIS, along with their families, surrendered to the Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday, March 12, as they launched an assault on the last stronghold of this militant group. Commanders of these forces believe the end of ISIS is imminent and announced that the war is nearing its conclusion. News agencies reported the surrender of a population between 1500 to 2000 people in the city of Baghouz, which is now besieged and is the last area under ISIS control, a group that managed to seize about one-third of the territory of Syria and Iraq four years ago. Mustafa Bali, spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces, stated on Tuesday that another group of ISIS fighters along with their families had surrendered. He remarked, 'As soon as our forces confirm that those who want to surrender have done so, we will resume the battle... the defeat of the jihadists is very close.' Baghouz was under fire on Monday night, but the situation in the area was described as calm on Tuesday morning. The Syrian Democratic Forces have besieged Baghouz for weeks but have repeatedly postponed their final assault to allow thousands of civilians, many of whom are women and children of ISIS fighters, to evacuate. The group finally resumed its attack on Sunday with air support from the US-led coalition. According to a Syrian Democratic Forces official, 38 fighters were killed in the recent clashes. The forces are advancing slowly in Baghouz to minimize their casualties. ISIS fighters have taken refuge in extensive tunnels, but it appears that none of the group's leaders or senior figures are among them. Civilians who have evacuated Baghouz have been temporarily housed in northeastern Syria, and the United Nations has described their conditions as horrific.