Syrian forces and the United States give last battle against EI

Jihadists are besieged in Baghouz, in the east of the country

BEIRUT (AFP) .- More than four years later

Islamic State

(EI) will declare a "caliphate" in a large part of

Syria

Syrian fighters backed by the United States yesterday waged intense battles in the last bastion of extremists in Baghouz in the eastern Arab country.

The Kurdish-led leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been slowed down by anti-personnel mines, sniper fire and car bombs used by extremists, who also use civilians as human shields, the report said. Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. Human Rights, based in Britain.

The homeless, who have said they expect the last offensive to end in a few days, announced the day before yesterday that they had taken about 40 positions of jihadists after direct fighting with small arms.

"He has launched a counterattack against our forces and we are now responding with rockets, air strikes and direct clashes," said SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali. He added that there were "dozens of SDF hostages held by the IE", but denied reports of executions.

The Syrian fighters backed by the United States launched last Saturday their last offensive to try to expel the radical militias of the region. The jihadist group had gathered at Deir Ezzor, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates and near the Iraqi border – where he had been militarily beaten at the end of 2017 – and in areas of the Syrian Desert.

According to Syrian fighters, nearly 600 jihadists, as well as hundreds of civilians, could remain within a radius of four square kilometers.

EI has continued to carry out frequent attacks in Iraq and has launched several offensives in recent months in Syria to try to expand its territories and reduce the pressure on it, even if it did not succeed. .

The capture of Baghouz would mean the end of a four-year global war against ISIS, which has managed to control large swathes of Syria and Iraq.

For his part, the American president,

Donald Trump

, announced in December its decision to withdraw troops deployed in Syria. Last week, he declared that he would "announce" probably the end of the territorial "caliphate" of employment insurance during this week.

"I should officially announce at some point, probably next week, that we have [bajo control] one hundred percent of the "caliphate" ", he said at a meeting of the international coalition against the IE.

Similarly, from December, tens of thousands of people, the majority of women and boys linked to fighters of the terrorist organization, have taken refuge on the territory of the homeless.

US-backed forces examined the newcomers, eliminating potential jihadists for interrogation. Some 600 people were able to join the Syrian fighters' territory the day before yesterday after fleeing the fighting, the Observatory said.