Syrian Democratic Forces Push ISIS Out of Al-Shaddadi

The Kurdish and Arab fighters coalition, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, pushed ISIS forces out of the city of Al-Shaddadi in the Hasakah province on Friday afternoon. Reuters reported from Beirut, citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, that the capture of Al-Shaddadi by Kurdish fighters occurred three days after attacks were launched in Hasakah province against ISIS positions by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. This is significant as it could cut off access routes to Raqqa, the unofficial capital of the Islamic State group. Reuters noted that the Syrian Democratic Forces did not respond to the report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Rami Abdulrahman, the director of this London-based human rights group, told Reuters that the capture of Al-Shaddadi is a 'psychological blow' to the Islamic State group, which still controls dozens of villages in the Hasakah region. However, he added that the Syrian Democratic Forces have captured many more villages and agricultural lands in recent days. On Thursday, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced that they had begun operations to capture Al-Shaddadi in the previous days. This U.S.-backed coalition, formed last October, includes the powerful People's Protection Units (YPG), which, alongside the U.S.-led air coalition, has conducted numerous ground attacks against ISIS interests. The coalition also includes a group of Arab fighters, including the Jish al-Thuwar group, which was able to reclaim parts of Hasakah province from ISIS at the end of last year. Reuters writes that Jish al-Thuwar handed over control of parts of Hasakah province to the People's Protection Units at the end of last year, thus many areas of this province are now under Kurdish control.